Aria of Hepheastus
by Agamemnonahb
Summary: A discovery in Cosmo Canyon seems innocent enough. But something got loose. With the escaped Hepheastus project subject and a drifter the Avelanche crew have their hands full. R&R please. Chapter 4 is now up!
1. Hephaestus and 7th Heaven

I own none of the character portrayed herein. They are property of their respective owners. This is a Work of Fan fiction and is in no way meant to bring the author any monetary gain or imply the author owns this property.

Project: Hephaestus

Subject: 0133081406

Group: SOLDIER

Sub Group: Black Knight

Status: On line

Operation: Berserker

Equipment: Group 16 Reclaimer set with Materia sub set 7

Function: Operational

"What do you suppose that all means Vincent?" Yuffie asked as she studied the off green text as it flashed on the black screen. "Does it have anything to do with Cerberus, do you think? Vinnie are you listening to me?"

"Do not call me Vinnie." Vincent scolded his young ninja partner. "I'm not sure what this means." His ever present red shroud hardly fluttered as he crossed the room to look at another monitor. "But all of the other Subjects are off line and non functional. It seems only Hephaestus got out." The metallic gold claw of his left hand tapped a few commands into the monitor. Yuffie guessed from his even more sour then usual frown what ever he did hand not worked. "Lets get back to Midgar."

Red thirteen had found this lab in one of the more inaccessible valleys of Cosmo Canyon and alerted Cloud to its presence. Cloud had then asked Vincent and Yuffie to explore it since they were by far the best infiltrators the group had.

But it had turned out to be pointless. The lab was empty stripped bare of any equipment and data. Except in this one room. It seemed to be a set up very similar to that of the mako reactors. The beings in the seven tanks placed around the lab room appeared to power much of the facility. Or they would have if any were still alive to produce refined energy.

"This place is a tomb Yuffie. Nothing more." said as he turned away from the computer and make his way toward the door.

"Well Vinnie, who knows more about tombs then you?" Yuffie replied with a shrug.

They were an odd duo. Vincent was at least seventy years old but looked only a little older then Clouds twenty four. He was tall, quiet and brooding. He never smiled. Ever. He had been compared to a vampire but that description fit him about as well as a little bit of water described the ocean. He was not a vampire but because of things Hojo had done to him he was less the fully human (or was it more then human? Yuffie was not sure). Yuffie was an energetic nineteen year old who never shut up and had a bad habit of annoying others. She also tended to acquire the materia of others through questionable means.

Their personalities clashed but Vincent was far to professional and focused to let that stop him. And their complimenting skills certainly made up for it. The ninja and the Monster never failed when they had a mission.

Yuffie followed Vincent through the abandoned complex. She noted how his heavy metal covered boots neither kicked up the floor's thick dust nor made the slightest sound. It gave her the chills and the way that red cape of his never moved when he walked until he drew that rifle Death Penalty on you. That was just plain frightening.

Yuffie hated working alone with Vincent. He was creepy.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she failed to notice he had stopped and plowed right into him. "Ohpp… Sorry Vinnie… Er… What is it?"

"Time to call Cid." He said flatly ignoring her apology. "Tell him we are ready to go."

"Ok." The ninja girl said to her companion's back. She reached into her pocket and pulled her Cell phone free. She gave it a flip and said "CID" into mouth piece. She was quiet for a second then "Yo Cid. Vinnie says we're done here. Can you pick us up? Really? Ok. No that's fine. Yeah… I'll tell him. Later Cid."

She closed the phone and sighed. "Cid says we'll have to hike up the ridge. The Highwind blew a head and he's doing repairs up top."

Vincent nodded slightly but said nothing.

"Great…" Yuffie said to herself. "I'll be stuck with Mr. Smokey and red mute. Fun fun."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That's some damned weird news you got there you two." Barret told them as he looked from Vincent and Yuffie to Cloud and Tifa. "Make any sense to you Spiky?" When Cloud shook his head Barret slammed his metal fist down on the table. "Damn!" he growled "All we need is more of those underground SOLDIERs running loose. Vincent had a hell'va time stopping them before."

"I do not think these lab or its research was related to them Barret." Vincent said. His soft whispery voice carried over the noise of the bar around them. They had made Tifa's bar the 7th Heaven their unofficial HQ. It was popular and often packed. The noise of the gathered patrons often covered their conversations from unwanted listeners. "This facility seemed geared more for mako manipulation."

"I thought you said everything was stripped. How do you know what it was used for?" Barret asked.

"It was!" Yuffie assured her friend. "It was cleaned out except for the reactor room."

"Yes." Vincent conceded "It was bare and dusty. But the walls on most of the labs were coated a mako dampening material. The only place Shinra used it was in mako research heavy facilities."

Tifa chuckled "As always Vincent knows more then he tells us."

"Yeah." Cloud agreed. "Until we make fools of ourselves guessing."

Vincent shrugged and let the comments slid off of him. He looked the bar over examining each of the patrons. Most he noted were displaced Midgar citizens who had settled here in edge. But one table just far enough from the group to not draw attention to itself sat two men and a blond woman. Each one was dressed in an identical blue black suite. One man wore heavy shades while the other two had them stuffed in their outer jacket pocket.

They were Turks. A group Vincent knew very well as a former member. Usually It was Reno, Rude and Tsung who came to the 7th Heaven. Those three knew not to cause trouble and tended to behave themselves. But these three were trying to listen to the group's conversation without looking like they were listening.

"We have eavesdroppers at the table by the window." he said without stopping his scan of the room. "Three Turks I don't know."

Cloud turned to look at Barret so he could see the Turks without being obvious. "Simon and his crew." he said to Tifa who moved away from the group as if on an errand for the table. "Miyoko isn't any trouble but Simon and Hyden will pick fights."

"They gonna be any real trouble Spiky?" Barret asked as he poured himself another beer from the table's pitcher.

"Nothing Tifa can't handle." Cloud replied and casually passed his own mug over for a refill. "She'll keep an eye on them."

"Ah, too bad. I was hoping for a scrap. All this bad news really pisses me off." he pushed Cloud's mug away "Get your own brew Blondie! Besides you should be ashamed of yourself making Tifa do all the work."

"Hey now! You refilled Yuffie's mug. Anyway She made me promise not to fight in the bar."

"Quite ya whining Spiky. If she has something to drink she can't talk. Only way to shut her yappin'."

"HEY!" Yuffie squealed in protest. "That's not nice you big, jug headed buffoon!"

"See my point?"

"Good point." Cloud agreed and was rewarded with a full mug from a new pitcher Tifa had just brought to the table. "Thank you."

"Still best to change the subject until Turkish ears aren't around." Vincent interjected "Best to be safe."

"Right." Tifa poured Vincent a glass of the fresh cold beer and replaced his old, hot, untouched mug with it. She knew he never drank anything but it just seemed weird for someone at the table not to have a glass of something. It was bad luck. "Simon is here for a fight I heard him say as much. But Hyden and Miyoko are looking for something. Or somebody. Now I've got other patrons to see to."

As Tifa walked away Barret nudged Cloud with his elbow. "So Cloud. How are things homeward? Interesting?"

"Why do you ask?" Cloud answered in suspicious tones. "Those kind of questions from you always seem to go places they don't need to."

"Well!" Barret said with some indignation. "You'd think I asked if that high kick was useful someplace other then a fight!"

Cloud nearly choked on the mouthful of beer he was drinking. He sputtered and coughed and spilt the liquid down the front of his shirt. Half the bar turned to see what was going on. Through his wheezing his cheeks and ears turned bright red.

"I see it is." Barret chuckled into his own mug.

"That was mean Barret!" Yuffie scolded "I can't believe you asked him that with a mouth full of beer. You could have killed him!" Cloud nodded agreement with her until "But then again if he can survive that thigh press of hers around the e…What?"

Cloud was staring at her with an incredulous expression as Barret forced his own drink down before asking in a parental voice "What you know about these things?"

Yuffie shrugged and grinned at them both.

"She was on the Highwind as well if you will remember." Vincent said as he stood up. "I believe that was education enough for her. I will call you if I find anything out." And left.

"I'm going to go change shirts." Cloud said with embarrassed dejection. When Vincent ribbed you it was time to call it quits.

Barret and Yuffie howled with laughter as their friend when through the door that led to his and Tifa's home on the bar's other wing.

"What's so funny guys? And where'd Cloud and Vincent go?" Tifa stopped to inquire as she passed their table.

Yuffie shrugged innocently "Cloud went to change clothes. He spilt beer on himself."

"And you know how ol' Vincent is." Barret added. "Always cryptic and flighty."

"Yeah. I suppose so." Tifa said looking between the two of her friends "But why do I feel like I'm missing something important?"

"Idunnnoooo." Yuffie replied and picked up Vincent's forgotten glass. "We were only talking about the old days." she said with a far away expression. Barret nodded and down the last of his mug as Yuffie asked "Anyway, can you teach me that right high kick of yours?"

Barret chocked and coughed. He slapped his chest hard to get air as Tifa and Yuffie pounded on his back. When he could breathe, and Tifa had moved to another table, he whispered venomously to Yuffie "Girlly you did that on purpose! I'm gonna kick yo skinny $$ when I catch you!"

"Uh ho." Yuffie teased. And poured him another mug as a peace offering. "Now you know how Cloud felt."

"Yeah yeah. He's young and some ribbing will do him good. He's too uptight most of the time."

"Yes. But try not to bring up Tifa will you? He acts like a five year old caught doing something naughty when you bring up their relationship."

"But you just…!"

"You started it!" She snapped defensively "Besides it was different. I didn't nearly kill him."

"True." Barret nodded. "But it is good to see them together." He smiled and topped off Yuffie's glass with the last of the second Pitcher.


	2. One Eyed Drifter

Simon was bored. Rufus had sent them to 'check up' on Cloud and his group. It was always like this. As soon as the Turks would show up their conversations would change direction mid word. Simon wondered if Rufus and Reno knew how infuriating that was.

So far all he had heard or seen was them trying to kill each other by drowning themselves in beer.

"This is dull Simon man." Hyden complained. Everything about him screamed boredom from his half lidded eyes to the way he slouched in the chair. "Why don't we just blow this place and go have some fun in the wastes? At least there life is interesting."

"I think you're right. We aren't going to hear anything today. Besides… I hate this place. Beer tastes like horse piss and the service is lousy."

Miyoko only shook her head. She was the more reserved of the three and there opposite in many ways. She was had a blond mane cut short to Turk regulations for rookies. Her eyes were as black as raven feathers and shined with intelligence. Her light skin seemed paled even farther in contrast, and she was tall and slender. Simon and Hyden were both black headed and brown eyed. Where Miyoko was slim and tall they were fairly short and stocky. They even had the same nose and jaw lines. Miyoko chalked that up to them being cousins.

They liked to fight and Miyoko preferred to try talking them out of it. So far she had had no success, but had avoided the bawl outs the other two got by at least attempting. She had been forced on two occasions to bodily interfere. 

"Listen you two we can't afford you getting into any more fights. Rufus has already said if you screw up again you can kiss you jobs goodbye." Miyoko cautioned. "Besides the food and drinks are on Shinra's gil. You have to admit our job is pretty easy."

"Yeah, nice and easy and boring." Hyden told her sarcastically. "Why'd we sign up for this again?"

"Cos Rude said we would go places and see things. So far all we've seen is Edge and the inside of this bar." Simon replied. Something out the window had caught his eye. "Hrmm."

"Look…If you two would just…" Miyoko started but when she realized they never listened when she told them the reason they were stuck in Edge was their fault, she decided to save her breath.

Hyden moved over next to Simon in an attempt to see what his cousin was looking at. "What's so interesting Sye?"

"Looks like a wasteland drifter decided he was good enough to come to town."

"Drifter? Where?"

As if on cue the 7th Heaven's door swung open through it came the drifter. He paid no one any mind as he went toward the bar. He was wrapped in what appeared to be an old tarp now used as a cloak. It was torn in many places letting the faded brown black cloth of his clothes to show through. Instead of a clasp he secured the make shift cloak to his shoulders with pieces of old rope and broken bungee ties.

"Well aint he pretty?" Hyden commented as the drifter went by their table.

Miyoko wrinkled her nose. "He certainly does not smell pretty. God what a reek!"

Others in the bar had also stopped talking to watch the stranger. Most merely watched but here and there among the patrons there were whispers about the state of his clothes and body, and some saying he should have bathed before coming into the place. A few thought he should be taken to a shelter and fed.

He paid none of this any mind as he took a seat at the bar. Tifa looked him over from the other end of the bar where she was busy washing glasses in the perpetual way of all bartenders around the world. After a moment she set the glass she was cleaning down and went to see what this man wanted. If his appearance or odor offended her she covered it marvelously as the welcoming expression on her face never wavered when she braced her elbows on the bar top and leaned down close to talk with him.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked the top of his hood.  
"Just water please. I don't have much money." The stranger didn't look up at her as he set a few crumpled gil on the bar top before her. "Is this enough for a room somewhere? It is all I've got." His voice was low and horse. "I've been away from everything for… a long time. Years really."

Tifa looked at the meager amount of money and shook her head. It was next to nothing even in this time of rebuilding. "I'm sorry, but that's not enough for a room. You might try one of the shelters. They give you crash space until you're back on your feet."

"No… Thank you." The drifter said. "Is it enough for something to eat then? I suppose I'll head to Kalm next and try for work there."

Tifa frowned. A lot of people refused the shelters. They were under funded and cramped with more people then there was floor space, so she really couldn't blame him. "Well let me go check something ok? I'll be right back."

She slipped down the bar and over to Barret and Yuffie's table.

"Hey what's with the smudge there Tifa?" Barret asked as she sat down.

"Yeah. I can smell him all the way over here. How do you stand it?" Yuffie chimed in.

She shrugged at their questions "I think he needs help. Serious help. Its just he… he seems… I don't know, broken, I guess. Like Cloud. He's got next to no money and wont go to a shelter. I want to help him but I don't know what I can do. And he keeps that hood pulled over his face. I wonder if he's okay" She explained to her friends.

"You're a bleedin' heart girl. Ya can't help everyone who comes through those doors." Barret told her.

Tifa looked at the big black man and shook her head. "What happened to saving the world?"

"C'mon Tifa! The world is easy. Everyone in it is hard."

"You don't mean that!"

"Yes I do! Look the planet is just one thing. A BIG thing yeah, but one thing. One thing is easy to handle no matter how big it is. But when you try to save every single person in it… It'll overwhelm and drown you. Ya can't save them all. And if you try the ones you fail to save will haunt you the way Aerith haunted Cloud."

"You did not just go there Big guy!" Yuffie, who had been wisely keeping her mouth shut, exclaimed.

"You stay out of this." He told Yuffie before turning back to Tifa. If looks could kill Barret would have been struck down at ground zero by an atomic bomb. Some things were understood as taboo subjects around 7th Heaven. Aerith was one of them. Barret wisely decided to defuse the situation before Tifa really exploded. "What do you want then?"

"He needs work. You think you could talk to Reeve? Just something to put some money in his pocket?"

"You know Cloud would be a better choice for this, girl."

Tifa shook her head "No. He wont call in a favor to save his life."

"Awright…" Barret caved "I'll call in a favor from Reeve but you have to get him cleaned up and presentable. But if Reeve turns him down 'cause he's a damned bum don't ask me to try again, I gotta have some favors for myself, oil work aint cheap."

Tifa leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks Barret. Now I owe you one."

"You owe me about five hundred but we don't count among friends do we Yuf?"

"Nope! Tell you what Tifa. Give him anything he wants to eat and I'll cover it." Yuffie said with uncharacteristic charity. Her friends stared wide eyed for a moment before Tifa could manage a "You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm feeling generous."

"Ok. I promise I wont let him eat you into poverty." Tifa grinned and nudged Yuffie with her elbow.

"Ok well so long as you promise that its ok. But seriously I've seen a lot of people like him moving from town to town for work. After a while it seems they can't get any kind of work anywhere. So I just thought that if…" Yuffie was explaining when Barret stood up.

A quick glance told Yuffie and Tifa all they needed to know. Simon and Hyden stood to each side of the drifter. Even though they were to far away to be heard Tifa could guess what they were saying to the poor man. Simon had drawn his asp and held it up resting on his shoulder, in a pose obviously mimicked from Reno. Simon and Hyden thought it made them look intimidating. Hyden was leaned down close to the man's face and saying something while holding his nose.

Tifa berated herself for not watching the Turks as she hopped from the table and hurried to the Drifter's aide. She was half way there when Simon struck with his asp. Or tried to strike. The drifter ducked his head and kicked Hyden's feet out from under him all at once. Hyden bounced his chin off the bar top at the same time the assaulted man gripped Simon's arm the oddest arm bar Tifa had ever seen. With an efficiency one only get from years of training he drove his elbow up from under Simon's arm and into the bottom of the captured Turk's jaw. Then just to be sure Hyden did not try anything he drove his knee into the back of the his head slamming his face against the front of the bar.

Several of the patrons had left their seat to see what was going on. This was not lost on either the drifter nor Tifa. In an attempt to save the inside of her bar Tifa yelled "Outside!" Without a word the stranger released Simon and backed toward the door. Now free, Simon rubbed his jaw and knelt down to help Hyden up. The younger cousin shrugged off Simon's help and stood on his own, one hand held to his face in an attempt to stem the flow from his bloodied nose. 

"I'm gonna kill him Simon!" Hyden informed his cousin in a voice that dripped venom. "No one insults a Turk and gets away with it! You understand me you Bastard? We're gonna make an example out of you!"

"Outside you idiot!" Simon whispered to the irate Hyden "Start a fight in here and Tifa will have our $$. Outside she can't touch us! Now get!" And To Miyoko he called "Outside Miyoko. We've over stayed our welcome."

Miyoko moved away from her table but the filthy transient blocked her path to the door. He was backing up slowly and facing the Turks to avoid another surprise attack. All she could do at the moment was wait. She watched as Tifa, Yuffie and Barret moved in closer to Simon and Hyden, as Simon and Hyden followed the drifter, and as the Drifter moved for the door. It was a stand off really, and standoffs always ended badly for somebody.

One of the other customers in the bar opened the door well before the stranger got there. The drifter gave the man a silent nod as he backed out of the door and disappeared off to one side. Not wanting his chosen target to get away Hyden bolted after him with Simon hot on his heels.

Miyoko watched them go and was about to follow when a large metal hand gripped her shoulder. The Mithril steel fingers bit hard as Barret turned her to look at him. "Hope your boys don't do anything' stupid. That guys my new warehouseman, if you break him Rufus is gonna buy him. We clear?"

"Perfectly clear Mr. Wallace. Clear as glass…" Miyoko replied with round eyes. Up close and angry Barret Wallace seemed to loom large enough to block the sun. But deep down she knew Simon and Hyden were going to do something stupid and they'd find some way to drag her into it too. She suddenly felt the urge to cry for her mortally wounded career.

Barret turned the innocent Turk loose, and fell in line behind Tifa and Yuffie as they hurried for the door. He had expected, no hoped, to see that the drifter had ran for it, Simon and Hyden were really too lazy to give chase. 

Instead he stood in the middle of the street facing them both defiantly. He reached up and tugged the bits of cord holding the tarp on his shoulder until it popped. It slid down his back but he held one edge of it in his other hand.

For the first time they could really see him. His hair was semi-long and a vibrant red that was darkened nearly black by grease and grim. Around his head was a bandage so dirty it was hard to tell where one wrap ended and another began. His right eye was covered by that same nasty bandage and his left eye was sunken with lack of sleep and was that same, nearly glowing, blue of Cloud's eyes. His were mako eyes. The man, this lone drifter, was a SOLDIER, one of Shinra Inc.'s privet elite army. The rest his face showed both signs of sunburn and dehydration, not to mention the lack of a razor's use for some time. While he might have been well trained and fit at one time, the flesh that could been seen on his arms had the slightly sagged appearance of muscle atrophy beneath. 

Now that the make shift cloak was gone the patches on his clothes could be seen faintly against the grime of his shirt. '338th Shinra' they read. The brown and black clothes had once long ago been the blue and grey uniform of Shinra's personal army. The drifter was in a sorry shape to say the very least, and he was now facing two fit, healthy, very angry, and armed Turks. Neither of whom seemed to notice or understand the marks on his uniform.

His eye kept flicking back and forth between the two Turks as they advanced. His stance changed as Hyden came within six feet of him. The Drifter held one hand out in front of his body in a basic defense position. The other hand, the one with the tarp he let hang limp to his side. He bent his knees and rose to the balls of his feet.

Hyden paid none of this any mind as he sprang at the other man with his asp. He aimed at the man's head and brought all his weight to bare with the idea of felling the drifter in a single head strike. He watched as the other man failed to act and anticipated the feel of his head cracking beneath the weapon.

Yet he felt nothing but air as his weapon missed its mark. The one eyed drifter had avoided the blow by simply bending his knees and ducking under the asp. It was too late to move away from the retaliatory strike when Hyden understood. The man's height was about six inches taller then Hyden and Simon's. Hyden had miss judged this and swung too high allowing his opponent to dodge with little effort and give no ground.

The drifter stood upright just behind Hyden's outstretched arm. Hyden felt a jolt on his neck where the drifter gripped it. Hyden was lifted up and tossed to the ground as if he were simply a training shot-put. He hit hard and lost his breath. But before the opening could be capitalized on, Simon entered the fray and nearly scored a hit to the man's blind side. The Drifter dodged the blow only because he noticed Simon's shadow fall across Hyden at the last second.

"Damn you're slippery!" Simon growled. He began to circle the other man watching for any surprise moves. "But I've beaten better." he said aloud. If the taunt had any effect the man hid it very well. 

He followed Simon with his eye until he passed beyond his field of vision. Not sure what Simon was doing and having just learned how sly and quick he was the drifter made a quick turn in the opposite direction. His left hand snapped out as he turned and the tarp he held cracked like a whip. Simon cried out. 

As the man's turn ended he was looking at Simon, and could see Hyden get to his feet as well. Simon was wiping blood from his lip where one of the metal reinforcing rings at the edge of the cloth had struck him. The Drifter did not give either of them time to counterattack before he stepped up to the duo with the impromptu cloak whipping about striking hands, feet, leg, arms and anything else they failed to protect.

The cousins fell back away from the whip cracks of the man's improvised whip. They were bleeding from numerous small cuts on their hands and arms. "Listen Hyden." Simon hissed as he watched the drifter. "I'll distract him and you snag that tarp. Without that we can get him. He can't stop us both unarmed."

"Right…" Hyden said with some doubt. Something about being pummeled with a tarp (a tarp for gods sake!) that was really helping him to reconsider this course of action. But in the end his want for revenge and loyalty to blood would win out. "Lets go!"

Simon sprang at the drifter. Knowing how he would employ that tarp helped Simon avoid most of the blows and even get in a few of his own. He tried his best to keep the man's eye on him and his asp. He thought he had succeeded when Hyden brought his own asp down across the one eyed man's blind shoulder.

A grimace crossed the stricken man's face and he gave a grunt of pain. On sheer instinct he wrapped the plastic cloth around Hyden's arm and asp. Immobilized suddenly, Hyden called for help from Simon who obliged by striking at the man's other shoulder. The drifter twisted his body bringing Hyden's captured asp around to intercept Simon's.

"What the 'ell!" Simon cried in frustration.

The SOLDIER kicked backward knocking Hyden's feet out from under his body. Hyden's weight pulled his arm free of the dirty wrapping but not before the drifter took his asp. Hyden lay on the ground clutching his arm. It was not broken or dislocated but the joints of his elbow and shoulder had been twisted painfully. Several muscles had also likely been torn or pulled when Hyden fell.

The drifter felt the weight of the weapon in his hand and gave it an experimental swing. The asp was a simple weapon, several lengths of steel rods fitted together in a collapsible way. It was a basic side arm often used police and guards. Reno's was even fitted with an electro shock device, but these two would not be given any arms that advanced. But that was fine, he knew how to use an asp.

Now armed he squared off with Simon. Their asps clashed and clanged together over and over. 

On the side lines everyone watched. Tifa gripped Barret's arm and told him "He's not going to make it Barret… Simon's got him!"

"I see that." He said. "He should've ran for it."

"What do you mean?" Yuffie asked slightly perplexed "Your guy is winning!"

"Damn girl do you ever pay attention to what's happenin' or you just stand around tryin' ta look pretty?" Barret snapped. "Guy's half starved and looks like hell. He can't keep up with those two… They'll out last him with sheer stamina. In other words he'll just keel over suddenly!"

"That's… Not good." The ninja said as she thought about it.

"Not good? Not Good? Yuffie I'm gonna pound ya inna the dirt!"

"Oopps!"

"Stop it you two." Tifa scolded as she restrained Barret "What do we do?" 

"How the hell should I know?"

Back on the street the stranger was getting noticeable slower and his blows lacked any semblance of real strength. Finally Simon managed to knock the his asp wide. The Turk grinned as the asp cracked loudly against the drifter's skull on the back swing.

He seemed to stand and look at Simon for a long time before his knees buckled and he dropped onto the cobble stones of the street.

Simon kicked Hyden's asp over to him. "Get up!" he barked at his cousin. "You wanted to make an example out of this guy so come on. He's not going to fight back now."

Hyden got to his feet carefully and nursing his injured elbow. "Alright. Sure." He said without much enthusiasm while he picked up his stolen weapon. "At least this parts going to make all the hurt worth it."

"You know it." Simon lifted his weapon and brought it down across the downed man's back. And lifted for another blow.

Tifa leapt from Barret's side to stop the Turks but she was too far to make it in time to stop the next hit.

Simon's asp came down. With a metallic clang Simon's arm went numb as he struck something a lot more solid then a person. There imbedded in the road at his feet was Cloud's buster breaker.

"Uh… Simon…." Hyden said with a tremble in his voice.

"What?" he snapped and tried to pry the large sword out of the ground. He grunted and strained but made no head way.

"We have a problem Simon." his cousin continued.

"The hell we do. Just hurry!"

"Simon you should really uh… look at me…"

"Wha… Oh S!t!" He tore his eyes off the sword only to find its owner holding his cousin's weapon hand casually in his own. Hyden winced as Cloud applied pressure to his captured hand, crushing his fingers around the asp hilt. "You've over stayed your welcome in Edge, Turk. Now leave." Cloud said in a soft and seemingly unthreatening tone.

"You know you agreed not to interfere in Turk business. You've got no authority." Simon informed Cloud with as much bravado as he could muster.

"If that's what you want." came the blond man's response. With a twist he disarmed Hyden again and with a spin sent the asp flying like a dart at Simon. The metal rod struck the upstart Turk in the forehead before he could have hoped to avoid it and bounced straight up. Simon staggered cross eyed a few steps before Tifa, who reached the scene just after Cloud, snap kicked him across the side of the head. Simon toppled in a heap and did not move.

"Get your cousin and get out. Tell Rufus Turks aren't welcome here anymore." Cloud told Hyden, who scurried to collect his cousin with the help of Miyoko. "I knew it!" the female Turk muttered angrily at Hyden. "My career is over! It's just getting started and you and your cousin ruined it! I hope Reno kills you! And he will you know. He loves that bar and you two just got him banned! And don't get me started on Rude or Tsung! They are…" she trailed off as they stuffed Simon in their car.

Tifa knelt down beside the one eyed man's unconscious form. She reached over and pressed her fingers against his throat and held her breath.

"How is he?" Cloud asked as he pulled his sword from the ground with ease.

She let out her breath as relief flooded her. "He's as fine as you can expect with the shape he's in." She turned back toward the bar and yelled "Yuffie, Barret go bring me a sheet or table cloth or something to carry him on! Hurry!"

Cloud watched his friends do as they were instructed before asking Tifa the most important question of the day. "Who is he?"

The first thing he noticed was how much his head hurt, followed shortly by how soft the ground was. 'I must be dead… Finally!' he thought but realized the pain showed how false that hope was. He groaned.

"Hey! He's coming around!" he heard a woman call. Something soft and wet and cold brushed his chest. He had to take a moment to convince himself to open his eye and set up. Every inch of him ached. His stomach rolled as his equilibrium adjusted. He tilted awkwardly but two small soft hands caught him. He cracked his eye to see who it was.

His vision was blurred for a few seconds before it cleared up and focused on the face of a woman about his age. Her hair was cut shot and her bangs were restrained by a brightly colored headband. He also noticed the slight almond shape of her eyes. She was at least part Wutanai or he'd eat his eye patch. She smiled at him "Heh. So you decided to join us in the land of the living." He brown eyes were warm and friendly, they held none of the contempt or loathing he had gotten so much of lately. He felt a sudden liking for this person who ever she was.

"I guess so." he answered. His voice was still harsh and dry. And he became conscious of his parched throat and chapped lips. "Water?"

The woman nodded and got up. He watched her go to the door across the room and poke her head through and tell someone "Tifa he wants some water." She looked back at him then added "Better bring something to eat too!"

"Alright. I'll get it to you in just a second." another woman called back.

He turned his eye back into the room. He was half laying half setting on a couch covered with a large grime covered sheet. Well that did not surprise him, he knew he was filthy. Next to the couch was a short table that had been pulled from across the room by the look of the carpet lines. On the table was a bowl full of water as filthy has the sheet and himself. A damp and gritty rag lay over the side of the bowl, so he guessed that's what he felt on his chest. He glanced down. His shirt had been removed and several layers of filth had been scoured away showing the pale dry skin underneath. 'I need a shower.' He also saw that the few gil he had left on the bar before the fight were set next to the bowl of wash water.

The girl came back and took a seat on the edge of the couch. "We were looking to see if you were hurt anywhere else." she said as he looked down at his chest. "That was either stupid or brave what you did." She said gently and reached for his face. He flinched back as her fingers brushed the bandage over his eye. "Yeah I bet it still hurts. Simon clocked you but good! Tifa was scared he'd killed you. Oh and that old bandage is going to need to be cut away. We tried to unwrap it but your hair is matted into it so badly." 

She did not understand that the pain in his head had nothing to do with his flinch he told himself. But, still, best to play along for now. "That's…. Ok. I would rather handle that myself, thank you." He told the young woman. By way of explanation he offered "I'm uh… rather sensitive about my eye. I know its stupid but…"

"Its ok." The woman told him. "I understand."

He doubted she did but at least he had provided an excuse to keep people away from his eye.

"Alright Yuffie here you go." the other woman said as she entered the room. It was the bar tender from before. Tifa was what the younger woman had called her. She brought in a pitcher of water and a glass along with a bowl of steaming soup, all arranged on a small tray, which she handed over to his current caregiver. 

'So the bartender is Tifa and the young one is Yuffie.' he filed that away. Names had power and if dropped at the right time could help someone out of a lot of trouble.

Yuffie brought the tray over and set it in his lap carefully. "Eat up." She told him with a big smile. Somewhere deep down he knew she was finding something funny about all of this. But the food was free and he was starving. But common sense told him to drink the water first, so he poured himself a glass full. It was cold and sweating in the heat of the room. He sipped it slowly letting his body adjust not only to the shock of the chill but to the sudden reappearance of liquid water. It felt good on his throat cooling the persistent burn of dehydration. After slowly drinking the first glass he filled and drained three more in rapid succession. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand leaving a dirty smudge across his face. 

He coughed and a huge hand slapped him across the back. "Slow down there! There is plenty more where that came from." He turned and found himself looking up and up and up and quite possibly the Biggest man he had ever seen.

"Hey Barret!" Yuffie said. She stood up and moved around the couch where she vanished behind the impressive black man. He and Barret looked at each other of a long couple of seconds. Their mutual stare was broken when a little girl's head popped up over the back of the couch. "Hello!" she said cheerily "Denzil he's awake! Come on"  
"Hold on a second Marlene!" a boy about the same age called back. The big man scooped the girl up and sat her on his shoulder and carried her over to the door Tifa had been using. "Go tell Tifa we're home baby."

"Yes Papa!" Marlene gave her father a nod and vanished through the door in a flash.

"Denzil, give me that and then go play with Marlene. The grown ups need to talk." Barret said as he took several packages from the young boy.

"Aw… But…" Denzil protested but Yuffie reappeared with another bag and hurried him out after the girl.

Behind Yuffie came a blond man. He was carried even more bags as he entered the house. He set the bags down near the couch. "So you're awake." the blond said simply. "Good."

The Drifter looked the gathered people over as they set about separating things in the bags. Deciding they would get to him in their own time he turned his attention to his rapidly cooling soup. He had just enough time to finish the bowl and pour another glass of water before Tifa entered from the other room. Once she joined them the group gathered around him. He knew they were about to finally start asking their questions so he sipped at his water and waited. He did however appreciate that they fed him first and let him finish before interrogations began.

"So I guess the first question is who are you?" Yuffie said with a glance to the others. Barret gave a slight nod then added "And what happened to ya, 'cos ya look like hammered s!t?"

"And most of the Ex-SOLDIERs are either bounty hunters or joined the W.R.O." The blond put in. "So why are you here?"

The Drifter looked at each of them and finished his water. "I'm here because this was home once. Well sector 3 was anyway. I hoped I'd find somebody I knew and get some help from them." He told them all. "And I look like this because I irritated the wrong man with questions of moral fortitude. The bastard retaliated by having my eye cut out for an experiment." The man fought the urge to spit in disgust. "If I ever get my hands on him…"

Tifa looked at the blond man with a worried expression. "Do you think he actually had an apprentice? It sounds like Hojo's kind of thing."

"I don't know." The blond replied "I doubt it but if he did we'll make him as dead as Hojo is."

"Hojo? You know Hojo?" the stranger asked "And he's dead? You can prove it?"

"Yeah… We took him down ourselves, right after he blew the top off that barrier over the northern crater." Yuffie told him with certainty. "Believe me that sicko is dead as anything. Why? You knew him?"

"He's the one that took out my eye. He took it out of my head without any anesthetic. He wanted to see what my 'pain threshold' was. Then he had me locked up. I guess that was a year or so ago… I lost track of time in that cell. But it was long enough for this…" he touched the bandage over his eye with dirty fingers "To heal up about decent. I used to hear them talking about him but then they stopped a few months ago. I guess that's when you all nailed that slimy bastard."

He could not figure out what he said wrong. They all looked at one another for a long time. The bartender, Tifa came over beside him and knelt down. "What is your name?" she asked simply.

"Lyle… My name is Lyle Bohannon." he answered her with tones of uncertainty and a confused expression.

"Lyle…" Tifa started again. "We killed Hojo three almost four years ago… I'm afraid you were locked up a lot longer then you thought." 

She had pulled no punches and she had no reason to lie to him, he knew. Three years ago. Then he was locked away for… He tried to count it up in his head at least five or more likely six years. So that made him somewhere between twenty one and twenty two. 

He closed his eye and waited for the world to stop spinning. 


	3. Of work and Monsters

The town of Edge was quiet. It was well before dawn and few people in the entire town were awake and moving. At this early hour the peace and calm of the rapidly growing town was very deceptive. In less then two and a half hours the streets would be busy and thronging with people. By the time the sun had fully risen over Edge the place would be alive and in full swing with the daily hustle and bustle. 

Lyle Bohannon had grown to enjoy this time of morning. Over the last few weeks Cloud and Tifa had allowed him to stay in their home until he had enough gil to get a place of his own. He like the couple and their live in wards Marlene and Denzil. He liked their energy and infectious good humor. But he also enjoyed the hour of silence he got to himself every morning as he got ready for work.

He was currently leaning against the back of the shower letting the warm water soak him and wash away yesterday's trouble. Lyle tried to start every day new and fresh, with the day before's worries and troubles left with yesterday. He also loved the feel of the water. Before coming to live in the 7th Heaven he had not had a bath in literal years. Sometimes he still woke up in the night choking on the memory of his former, filthy and grimy existence. Clean was certainly the way to be.

After a long soak he reluctantly shut the water off so that Tifa would have some hot water when she got in in a half hour to make breakfast for Cloud and the children. Lyle would be well on his way to work by then however. He pulled his towel free of the rack next to the tub and dried himself off before stepping out of the shower. He stopped to look at himself in the mirror. His eye was no longer sunken and surrounded by black bags and much of the weight he had lost had come back, thanks to Tifa's excellent food, and that went a long way to easing the haggard look of his face. There was a little bit of red stubble on his chin but he decided to forgo a shave this morning. But he touched the socket where his right eye had once been and sighed.

He dressed quickly and gave the mirror one last look as he pulled the black patch over his right eye. Denzil had turned up with the simple eye patch sometime late in that first afternoon. The boy had presented his prize to Lyle with great pride. He did however, refuse to tell anyone where he had found it saying only it was better not to ask. And Lyle never did.

It had taken him several hours, a half dozen rags, multiple bars of soap, and what seemed like fifty tub water changes to get clean that night. But in the end he had managed to scour himself clean of five years of dirt and grit. He had been meticulous about his cleanliness ever since. Again no one seemed to mind beyond Barret telling him that it was unhealthy to get in an overly clean mindset. Lyle agreed but sometimes he could still feel all that filth on his skin.

He slicked his flame red hair back with his hand and called himself groomed for the morning.

The house was dark and still, but not foreboding. There was a homey warmth that filled the air and anyone who came here would know this home was a happy home.

Down the stairs Lyle went slowly so as not to make them creek and may be wake anyone up. He passed through the door that separated the home from the bar and cautiously made his way to the fridge in the dark. He opened it a little and pulled out some juice and the lunch he had packed the night before and set them on the bar top. Next, he took his lunch box from under the counter and took out his thermos and filled it with juice. The he placed his sandwiches in the bottom of the box and strapped the thermos to the inside of the lid.

Lyle closed the lid and made his way out of the 7th heaven. It was still dark outside as he headed to work. A light fog rose from the street and swirled playfully around the brightly burning street lamps. The sound of his heavy boots ringing off the cobblestones echoed through the empty street. Here and there he passed others as the emerged from their homes. None of the early risers said anything to anyone as they all went their separate ways in the predawn gloom.

It was a long walk around Edge. Almost an hour after he left Cloud and Tifa's home he stood before a large building marked 'W.R.O. Material Warehouse #17' The warehouse was massive, covering blocks of the city that had grown around it. Barret had told him that this warehouse was the largest in edge with right at one million square feet of floor space. The outside was an imposing wall of a flat beige color with two large maroon stripes near the top.

Lyle still felt impressed by the sheer size of the building.

He pressed his scan card to the small black box mounted on the door frame next to the knob. The red light flickered green and the 'thud' of the magnetic seal releasing sounded as Lyle's ID. Was read and reread by the security computer.

Once inside he noticed all of the lights were on. He was seldom beaten to work by the other employees but it had happened once or twice. To his right was a long counter with computers bolted to its surface every three feet like the crenellations of a castle wall. An older man sat before the only computer with a lit screen. Kenneth Diamond, was his name, he was the unofficial head of the warehouse. There was a supervisor of course, but Ken knew where everything was and ran the place with the efficiency of a career sergeant. If you had a question or needed anything you asked Ken. Even the supervisor understood he was only there to fill out the paperwork and let Ken run everything else.

Lyle clocked in then went to see why Ken was there so early. "Is there a problem Mr. Diamond?" He asked while trying vainly to see the screen over the other man's shoulder.

"Not anymore." Ken replied. He punched in a few more things on the computer then turned around to face Lyle. "Wallace 116 went down last night around three. It was because of motor failure. I sent out the one from rack ninety, bin twelve." Ken told him by way of explanation. "But Silas had it earmarked for another project, so I had to override his reservation. When's that little boy going to learn this is my warehouse?"

Lyle shook his head and gave Ken a shrug. Ken was almost seventy four, but he was fit and healthy with the mind of a steel trap. Silas, the supervisor was in his mid fifties so Lyle never thought of him as a 'little boy'. Ah the perks of age.

"Well who took it out?" Lyle asked as he turned to find the night's hotshot. "And where is Wallace 116?"

"It hasn't gone out yet. I was here getting it okayed. SO…" Ken opened one of the drawers in the counter and lifted out a metal safe box. He took out a set of keys and tossed them at Lyle. The one eyed man caught them without turning to look at Ken. "It looks like you get to take it out there."

"Wonderful… I just knew you were going to tell me that. Well so long as its not the one by Fort Condor. I hate that place. Just the smell of the air rolls my stomach." Lyle put the keys in his coverall's pocket and looked at the map.

"Good news then son. 116 is over by Corel."

"Corel? Home office? Why are we sending parts there? They are better stocked then we are." he asked. Ken shrugged. The old man kicked one of the near by stools toward Lyle. "Sit down son."

The younger man obeyed and took a seat on the stool with out another word. "Look, I probably shouldn't tell you this since its still a company secret, but… Well the new train line from Costa Del Sol to Corel is shut down. Somethin's wrong but I aint heard what."

"So how am I supposed to get there?" That's a continent away! He thought.

"Ah well you see the thing is…" Kenneth started "The rest of today's good news is you're gonna take a worm with you. We hope you'll be able to get them wormed out and productive. And they can get you some transformational type help to Corel."

"Ok…" The red head mumbled. Worms were new people, absolute rookies. Worming someone out was a nice way of say 'work them till they drop and they will either make a good hand or die. Either way we win.' "So when do you want us gone?"

"As soon as you can, of course."

"Of, course." Lyle grumbled lamely. "Well I'll go load that motor and then when the worm gets here we'll head out."

"Worm's already here boy. Had no where else to go last night so they's crashed on the break room couch. Go get'em up and make the worm earn their keep." Ken told him.

"No where to go huh? Well I can understand that." Maybe me and this guy can get along. Lyle walked the length of the long counter then turned and went through the door at the far end. It led to a small pipe room lined with small lockers and an ice machine. He paid this room no attention and crossed it in just a few short steps to pass through to the kitchen area and then finally to the main office rooms. He took a left just outside the kitchen door and entered the break room.

It was filled with low tables and many chairs, two T.V. s were mounted on the wall at the halfway point and far end of the room. Right under the far T.V. was the old beat up and uncomfortable couch. The person on it was covered with one of the nasty purple fire blankets in bright contrast to the couch's dull and dirty yellow.

Lyle weaved in and out of the low tables on his way to the couch. "Time to get up." He said pulling away the blanket. The new worm rolled over and sat up. With a long yawn they rubbed the sleep from their eyes.

"You?" Lyle asked in confusion. "Why are you here?"

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In far away Corel, Barret Wallace looked at the map on the table before him lost in deep concentration. "Ya sure?" He asked Vincent for the hundredth time.

"Yes." Vincent answered with his usual patient calm. "I went as soon as you told me about the missing train. I found it in the Cosmo Canyon by pass tunnel. I believe you should go and see it for yourself Barret. Something in the area is attacking the wildlife and disrupting the trains."

Damn it! Barret thought. We just got everything up and running and now this! "This isn't good man. It got something' ta do with that lab ya think?"

"Perhaps. We are not sure what got loose or if it could even survive on its own."

"I don' like all these maybes. Lets go and look it over."

"Can I make a suggestion to you first." Vincent said it in such a way that Barret understood it was not a question.

"Yeah…" he replied cautiously.

"Get Cloud and Tifa and all the others here first. You must believe me when I tell you we will need them."

"Even Yuffie and that damn cat?"

"Well, perhaps not Cait Sith. Reeve's got enough on his plate right now."

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"You know I thought you'd be a lot happier to see me Patch." Yuffie complained as she tightened up the last of the motor restraints. "We got along soooo well last time."

"I don't like people keeping an eye on me." Lyle grumbled back at her. "What do they think I'm going to do? And don't call me Patch."

The ninja girl hopped up on the trailer and leaned across one of the connection cylinders to get a good , unobstructed view of Lyle. "Everybody says that!" she whined "But anyway, I'm not here to keep an eye on you. Everyone thinks you're a big boy and can handle yourself. I'm here because my father thinks I need some hard life experiences." She made a face at the thought. "So he got Barret to hook me up with a job."

"Oh really? Then why here?"

"Because he wants me away from home but not far from help. He makes out like I'm a little kid! Its just so damn frustrating!" She fumed. "I can handle myself!"

"I'm sure you can." Lyle said soothingly. He hopped up on the trailer and squatted so he was even with Yuffie's face. "But fathers can be a pain in the $$. 'Sides…" The red head poked the ninja girl in the forehead and pushed her up off the pump's extrusion. "Hard work never hurt anyone."

"Really?" Yuffie asked him with narrowed eyes. She did not trust this four letter word -work- It sounded… Uncomfortable, complicated, and completely inconvenient to the social life of a nineteen year old girl. "What about that guy who died of exhaustion over in Rocket Town? I think it was hard work that killed him."

"No. It was his heart. Hard work had nothing to do with it. Now come on we're already running behind." Lyle told her before she could respond "And we don't get paid until we leave."

"We don't?" Yuffie responded in surprise.

"No. We're paid by the job plus extra for every mile we travel. So this should be a very profitable trip for you." he explained to her. "All you'll really have to do is ride in the truck."

"Really? How profitable?" She asked. Lyle swore he caught a slight green glint in her brown eyes.

"Figure… About three cents per mile. On top of four or five thousand gil as the jobs base bounty." He shook his head. "We're gonna be gone for a week at least." And he was not certain he liked that thought when he saw how she was doing the higher math in her head.

"That comes up to… A bunch!" She exclaimed happily as in her mind's eye gil showered down around her. The coins of her imagination were pleasantly cool against the flesh of her nude inner self. Oh yes, the thought of all that money made her tingle. "Are all of our jobs going to be this good?"

"Hardly." Lyle told his new associate bluntly. The tingling stopped. "Mostly jobs around here pay about fifty gil plus the three cent a mile. You can usually get four or five of those done a day if you push yourself, skip lunch and don't take any breaks."

Push yourself? Skip lunch? No breaks? Work really was the worst of the four letter words! And if you topped that off with Cid's favorite four letter word you would have nailed Yuffie's feelings at that moment dead on. F-ing Work!

"… own place." she heard Lyle saying to himself.

"What was that Lyle?"

"I said I might actually have enough to buy my own place after this job is done. I've been saving up everything I get paid except for what I pay Cloud and Tifa for my room and board there."

"Why don't you rent a place?" she asked curiously. She needed a place of her own too.

"Because currently in Edge you either buy a place or you live on the streets. There's just no space for renters."

"Well that sucks." Yuffie hopped down off the trailers and climbed in the truck's cab. She had just finished fastening her seatbelt when Lyle climbed in beside her. He said nothing as he started the large truck and let the engine idle. After a minute or so he put the vehicle in gear and, slowly, they left Warehouse #17.

At the outskirts of Edge, the ninja felt the hairs on her neck stand up and that feeling one gets when they are being watched. She glanced over at Lyle but his blind side was to her and his good eye was on the road. 'Creepy.'

Beyond Edge was a long flat plain that lead toward a wide valley and the village of Kalm. And if you went even farther east you would in time reach Choco Billy's Chocobo Ranch, and the Mithril mine. The northern part of the central continent was just open space as far as Yuffie could tell. To Midgar's west was another open plain that stretched the few miles to the sea. To the immediate south was the Midgar mountain range.

Lyle drove the truck west toward the coast.

Yuffie leaned against her door and gazed at the flat grasslands as they slowly floated past. She was bored. Bored and depressed. She hated to set still and this was looking like a long trip in a small space with a guy she hardly knew. Well, she liked Lyle. Something about him struck her as very approachable. She could also appreciate how he had stood up to Hyden and Simon. She knew very well what it was like to fight a battle you had no hope of winning. Her home land had rebuilt after the Meteor fiasco, but much to her personal chagrin, it was still very much a tourist attraction. Shinra had beaten it down in a stupid and pointless war, by sheer force of arms and their nearly limitlessly deep pockets.

She glanced at Lyle and wondered if he had ever fought in Wutanai. He was in SOLDIER after all. She had come close to asking him several times but always stopped short. Mostly the others were more concerned about his health when they found him so those questions were left unasked at the time. Then a week or so after Tifa had broken the news of how long he was in prison Yuffie heard him talking with Cloud about working for Shinra. She had used her ninja skills to eavesdrop on them but the subject never came up.

Then right before she made her trip home she had started to ask him but a chill gripped her that was so intense she knew then that she did not want an answer from him.

She just seemed unable to ask anything that might change the way she saw him.

The Wutanai girl got that strange feeling of being watched again. But a glance told her that nothing had changed. On a sudden whim she reached over to Lyle's blind side. She waved her hand at him and got no response, so slowly and very delicately she reached for his eye patch. Just one peek would not kill any one. Oh, Lyle would protest, loudly, but by then it would already have been done so she figured he would just get over it.

Just as her fingers brushed the black leather the red head's hand snapped up off the gear shift and in an eye blink gripped her wrist. The hold was not painful but very firm. He turned his head to see her. "I promise, you do not want to see the mess under there. So please just…. Let it go."

There was a disapproval in his voice that, though he used a patient and even tone, cut at the girl. Usually Yuffie would have ignored it but for some reason, from Lyle, it stuck. "Sorry…" She mumbled in apology. "I wont try again."

The ex-SOLDIER let her hand go and turned his attention back to the road. Still the feeling of being watched creped over Yuffie.

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"Now goddamnit Barret, I aint everyone's $#ing taxi! My Sherra is a delicate and very high precision machine. If I take 'er globetrotting every time one of you numbskulls needed a lift She'd be worn out in no time!" Cid gripped into his cell phone's mouthpiece. He took a long drag off his cigarette as Barret explained his need for Cid's airship one more time.

"Look Cid, people are getting hurt. Something is attacking the train in Cosmo Canyon." Barret explained in the same slow and calm voice he used on Marlene when she was a small child. "Nothing is getting through in one piece and the engineers are just shy of striking." Cid snorted into the phone, and Barret exploded with "Look after everything we did to stop mako use you'd think you would have got it through ya thick cracker skull that people need this oil to survive! Now damnit Cid get ya sorry $$ in the air and go get the others!"

"Alright alright. I'll go get them. Have them meet me just east of Edge. Damn you're a pain in my $$ you know that?" Cid conceded. "I'm just getting Cloud and Tifa right?"

"No."

"I thought you said Vincent was there with you."

"He is. But I need you to pick up that damn sticky fingered brat. Vincent thinks we might need her special skills."

"YUFFIE? Well Sht! She pukes up everything she's ever eaten when I give her a lift."

"Ah, quite ya whinein' Cid, and just do it!"

"Fine but you're mopping up the mess."

"Whatever just get here pronto."

Grumbling a string of curses that shriveled all the greenery around him Cid hung up with Barret and punched in Cloud's number.

After four or five rings someone picked up. It was a young girl's voice that answered "Hello?"

"Wha-? Oh Marlene?" The pilot asked the small voice on the other end.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"This is Cid sweetie. Your Papa's friend." He said. He may seem like a gruff old codger, but Cid liked children. Well, other people's children anyway.

"OH! The one with the neat airplane!" Marlene squealed

"Its an airship girl." Cid replied gruffly before thinking. "Er…" Best time to get to the point. "Is Cloud or Tifa around?"

"Ummm… Yeah Tifa is here."

"Let me talk to her please."

"Ok. Just a second."

Cid listened to Marlene set the phone down and call out across 7th Heaven to Tifa telling her Cid was on the phone for her. Cid did not hear the called response but Marlene soon returned. "She said give her a minute, Mr. Cid."

Cid shook his head and silently cursed. Yeah he liked kids but they were damned hard to talk to. They never seemed to appreciate anything, like a good brand of smokes or a fine aged scotch. And girls were worse about this then boys. Finally he managed a simple "Fine."

It was a short wait later when Tifa's voice came across the receiver. "What's up Cid?"

"Hey girl, big black and ugly says he need our help with a little problem in Cosmo Canyon. Can you round up Cloud meet me east of Edge? I told That numbskull Barret to tell you but you know how reliable he is in a crisis." Cid informed his friend has bluntly as possible. "And while he didn't say anything about it, it might be in all of our best interest if ya'll bring some heavy hitting materia."

The bartender chuckled. Yeah Barret had always wanted to be the leader but it really was not his strongest suit. "Sure thing Cid. It'll be a few hours though. Where are you at?"

"I aint even warmed up my baby's engines yet. A few hours will be fine Tifa. And do you know where I can find Yuffie?"

"Oh yeah. She's working here in Edge right now. I can give you her number."

"I suppose you should." he said somewhat sadly. Tifa gave Cid the ninja girl's number then hung up to get everything ready.

"What a pain… Now who tha 'ell's callin' me?" He had only just ended his call to Tifa when his phone buzzed about an incoming call. He answered it. "Yeah who tha hell is this and what tha f#$ do ya want? Huh? Who? Oh hell I just about to call you girl. Yeah. I talked to Barret. Yeah I'll pick you up west of Edge. Just go with Cloud and Tifa. Huh? Why tha f#$ are you on the west coast? Workin'? Since when do you do honest work? Well Sht! Hell must be frozen over! Hey now calm down brat. Fine, fine I'll find you by the West coast then we'll go get Cloud and Tifa and head to Cosmo Canyon. What are you talking about Corel? I aint going to Corel. Huh? Damnit, calm down. We'll work this out when I get there just sit tight I'll be there in a few hours. Yeah. Naw I aint even told the crew was leavin' yet. Now damnit Yuffie settle down! Are you by yourself? With who? No I aint heard anything about that. Well I'm sure you two can find something to do together. HAHA! BYE!" Cid hung up on Yuffie and sighed. "Damn what a mess." He turned around to find his entire crew huddled together staring at him. "Well what are you buncha Lazy $$es standin' around for? Get tha ship ready to go! Chop chop!

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"I swear to gawd that geezer is a pervert!" Yuffie screamed at no one in particular.

"What's wrong?" Lyle asked

"Nothing." she told him. "But Cid's gonna be a few hours."

"That's fine. We still get paid either way." He said. "Might as well get some sleep." There was a click and his seat reclined back. "You can have the sleeper. I don't much care for the bed. Too soft."

"Um… Ok." Was all the ninja could say to that. "Actually, I'd like to talk for a little bit if that's ok."

"That's fine." The red headed man told her. "But people tend to frown on young girls talking to themselves."

"You're being a jerk, Lyle." She huffed "I thought we got along pretty well before."

"We did." Her one eyed companion said. He twisted in the seat to be able to see her. His arm cradled his head in such a way that his patch was hidden. "And you look like a bullfrog when you puff up like that."

"What? I do not!" The young woman exclaimed at her partner. I don't look like a bullfrog. Very few people could ever hope to be a babe like me on my worst day! I just think you don't like me."

"Of course I like you. Or I wouldn't even talk to you. I am quite good at ignoring people." Lyle explained with a grin. "I just like your bullfrog impression is all."

"Hey!" Yuffie retorted "Better a bullfrog then a Cyclops if you ask me." she turned to look out the window and watch for the still far away airship.

If she had watched the Lyle she would have noticed the dark expression that clouded his features for a split second then was gone. Lyle opened his mouth to say something then closed it. He was just teasing her. 'Women' he thought and rolled over to face the other window and went to sleep in the quick fashion of soldiers around the world.


	4. The Thing in the Cave

It was several hours later that a soft voice awoke Yuffie. She had fallen asleep shortly after her minor episode with Lyle. The ninja girl rubbed the side of her head that felt numb from its hours long pressing against the truck window. A glance in the mirror showed her the fairly large red spot that marked the numb place. 

After a moment to adjust her headband to cover most of the spot she turned to wake up Lyle, but only an empty seat occupied the cab with her. It was then that the soft voice she had heard returned to her attention. Yuffie listened very hard for a time before realizing that the voice was someone singing. 'Lyle had probably went to see who was singing' she told herself then opened the door and hopped down to the ground. She followed the sound down to the end of the trailer.

"…money down. Pay me or go to jail. Pay me my money down. I wish I was Mr. Gates. Pay me my money down. They'd haul my money in in creates. Pay me my money down…" went the voice. It was strong and very low with a bit of gravel to it, but it was not unpleasant Yuffie decided. But when she found the source of the voice she almost jumped. "Lyle?"

The red haired man stopped singing and looked up from the piece of machinery he had disassembled. "I was going to let you sleep." he said simply then went back to work. "Sorry to wake you. I'll stop crowing."

"No. You didn't wake me up." she lied "I was getting hungry." she lied again "And… I came to ask if you… Well then I heard you crow… er… Singing and came to see who it was. And its you and well um… Ok. Tag your it."

Lyle stopped working again and gave her a long hard look. His odd blue eye gazed over the equipment at her with an intensity that made her fidget and watch her own feet. The girl had never been very good at being put on the spot. Then she felt her skin crawl for some reason and she looked up.

Lyle was shaking his head chuckling silently, as a slight smile played on his lips. He set his wrench down in the little red tool box Yuffie had not noticed until the young man's action drew attention to it, and stood up.

"Singing huh? Heh. You must be the only one that calls that noise I make singing." He said with good humor. The ninja watched him pick up his tool box and walk over to her. "But a lunch break would be nice."

Yuffie nodded and looked up at his face. She was not sure what she was looking for but she was very sure she had not found it. But the feeling of being watched that had given her the willies was gone as suddenly as it came.

"What?" Lyle asked was a puzzled expression.

"Nothing Lyle." was her answer "Lets get some food before Cid gets here."

"Sure. His food that bad?"

"No not really." Yuffie replied then groaned. "But I get air sick. I want time to digest my food or else its gonna come right back up." She made a face at the thought of the hours and hours she was about to have to spend on the air ship. Lyle laughed. "Oh shush you." she told him.

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It was not much longer before Cid arrived. The loud whine of the airship's engines reverberated off the surface of the ocean heralding Yuffie's friend's arrival several minutes before the sleek silver craft soared into view.

Yuffie grinned in spite of herself as she helped Lyle pack the last of his tools into their box. "Cid's here!" she said happily. All thoughts of her motion sickness now long forgotten. She watched as her new partner gazed awestruck at the feat of engineering Cid called the 'Sierra.' Yuffie knew it out classed the old Highwind in virtually every way, or so Cid had told her over and over again on the trip to Midgar during the Geostigma outbreak.

The 'Sierra' glided over the water kicking up a vast spray of white water in her wake. As it transitioned from water to shore its thrusters throttled back greatly reducing the noise the metallic bird made. Its support propellers kicked in at full power. Their back wash flattened the sandy dunes beneath the belly of the airship. With its forward thrust gone 'Sierra' fairly floated toward the parked truck.

Yuffie shielded her eyes from the gusts of sand and dirt whipped about as the pilot maneuvered his charge closer to her and Lyle with a noticeably decreasing amount of altitude. About twenty feet was all that separated the airship from the ground when it finally leveled off.

Lyle watched it pass over his head still transfixed by the very sight of the massive airship.

It slowed just as the truck was passed by the center of its downward wake. As the edges of the outside sand storm began to lick at the front fender of the transport truck the craft stopped altogether. Slowly a ramp at the airship's aft opened and lowered. It touched ground only a few feet from Yuffie and Lyle's toes. The pilot had positioned the airship with masterful precision.

Down this ramp came a man. He was dressed in a light blue shirt and much stained coveralls. The upper half of the cover alls were tied around his waist like a misshapen and lumpy belt. A pair of aviator goggles, also oil smudged, were nestled in his unruly blond hair just above a dingy red bandana. He was busy pulling a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket as he ambled down the ramp.

"Hey Brat!" He called then stuck on of the cigarettes in his mouth. "You about ready to go? We still gotta go get Cloud and Tifa." He produced a lighter from somewhere and lit his smoke. Who's the red head, Brat?" he asked around a puff.

"Oh yeah! Cid this is Lyle Bohannon. He's the guy that thought he could take Simon and Hyden in a fist fight. Lyle this is Cid Highwind. He runs the W.R.O.'s new air force." Yuffie told them by way of introduction.

"Such as it is." The blond pilot said rather more modestly then normal. "Nice to met ya!" Cid said and extended his hand. Lyle made no move to shake it. "I said nice to met ya, ya F-ing b$&d!" Cid said with great annoyance.

Yuffie looked over at Lyle. Poised to ask him what his problem was she stopped then giggled. "Hey Cid, You've been up staged by 'Sierra'."

"Wha-?" the pilot asked. He realized he'd been talking to Yuffie and had not really looked at Lyle. Now he saw the one eyed man was still watching the 'Sierra' bob in her own downwash. Suddenly any annoyance Cid had felt a second ago was washed away. It was replaced with pride.

"Bute' aint she!" it was not a question. "She's covered with a super durable Mithril steel alloy on the out side and her innards are all the latest top of the line components. Her engines are all modified Shinra 782's rigged to work with a new planet friendly power source. The props are new prototypes designed to give greater lift and power by being lighter but more durable. Baring any really adverse conditions she'll get 290 knots easy." Cid explained. His cigarette was used like a pointer as he jumped from one section of the ship to another. He seemed to virtually glow with pride like a new father over his first born child. "Hey Yuffie, I think I like this guy already."

"Whys that you old coot?"

"Because he knows just how much respect, awe, and love to give my baby!" He chuckled. Yuffie joined him. "C'mon." Cid said and reached over and closed Lyle's mouth for him. "Load up that truck and I'll give you the grand tour!" The pilot grinned wide when Lyle nodded and went to move the truck. "Nice guy you got there Brat, but he talks to -ing much."

The ninja shook her head and followed Cid up the ramp to guide her partner and the truck up into the hold.

After the truck was secured in the belly of the 'Sierra' Cid took Lyle and Yuffie on the grand tour. Yuffie paid all of Cid's technical explanations and bragging little mind. She had already flown in Cid's pride and joy. No, she let Lyle enjoy looking around and poking his nose into panels and toggling switches. She was spending far more time on concentrating on her stomach. It rumbled and flip flopped almost in time with the thump of the engines. It took everything she had just to keep the undigested portion of lunch down in her gut. She felt queasy and wanted, at this point, nothing more then a toilet to claim as her own.

She noticed Lyle was watching her with very serious concern after a particularly bad bit of turbulence nearly caused her to vomit on him. He seemed to like that idea as much as she did. "You ok?" he asked in genuine concern "You're about green."

"I'll survive. ULK… For now." She covered her mouth with her hand and closed her eyes. 'One… Two… Three…' Yuffie counted in her head in an attempt to get her mind off her stomach. Lyle kept his eye on her but sidled slowly out of puking range.

"Well kids that about covers the tour anyway. Why don't you take her up to the deck for some air." Cid told them. It was obvious that Yuffie was at the end of her will power and Cid had absolutely no intentions of allowing her to regurgitate her lunch on the decking of his precious 'Sierra'. "And make sure that when she blow chunks it's overboard and not on the deck plates of my nice clean and beautiful 'Sierra'."

Lyle nodded and took Yuffie's arm to help steady her on the way up to the deck. The journey was mercifully short because Yuffie had no more reached the railing then her lunch did finally come up. Lyle stood beside her with his back to the rail and said nothing as he watched her throw up everything she had eaten for the last week it seemed. Her being sick fazed him not at all, but he would rather remain up wind of her for obvious reasons. A fool spits into the wind, a complete imbecile stood down wind of a person suffering sever motion sickness.

When she was reduced to dry heaves he slowly rubbed her back in counter clockwise motions. "Oh GAWDS! I hate flying." She said through the heaves. Her throat burned and her eyes were clouded with tears. She would have killed for something to get rid of the taste as well yet was afraid anything she took might well set her off again.

"I bet." he said with all the sympathy he could muster. "How do you ever manage to get around with motion sickness this bad? No wonder you're so small…"

"What the hell does that mean?" jokes were at the top of her list of things she did not need right now. Right under food, liquid, turbulence, and flying.

"You said you were always moving around. And to get anywhere from Wantai you have to either fly or sail. When do you ever get to keep anything down?"

"Yeah well maybe I swam!" she snapped, not really in any kind of mood for wisecracks. As she was grumbling to her self Lyle pressed a flask into her hands. "What's this? I really don't want to drink anything right now Lyle…"

"It's ordinary water." He replied still rubbing her back "You can use it to rinse your mouth out. Just… Don't swallow, spit."

Yuffie grunted when she tried to pry the lid off the small silver flask. She was shaking so badly it seemed all of her strength was gone, so Lyle popped the top off and passed it back. She took it and filled her mouth with water. She swished it around her mouth until the acidic after taste was gone then spit the water over the side of the airship. After repeating this twice more she handed the empty container back to Lyle. "Thanks." she told him weakly. Her stomach was still flopping around like a fish loose in a boat. "I didn't mean to snap at you. Sorry."

"No problem Yuffie." he assured her while he replaced the flask on his belt. "Don't worry about it."

Yuffie did not get sick again but neither of them left the upper deck railing until they reached the rendezvous point near Midgar, where Yuffie demanded a half hour to recuperate, as Tifa and Cloud loaded their things on the ship.

Cloud asked Lyle to help Tifa tie down his motorcycle. "I need to talk to Yuffie for a second." he gave as explanation. Lyle had no idea what Cloud would need to talk to Yuffie for, but he consented anyway.

"Hey Yuffie." Cloud called down from the ramp. He tossed a small bottle at her when she turned around. "Take a dose of that." he instructed her as he approached. "Its taste will remind you of our trip though the Midgar sewers but it'll stop the queasiness for a few hours."

"Really?" The girl looked at the small white bottle with brown eyes suddenly full of hope. "What is it?"

"I'm not really sure." Cloud admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "A guy down in Mideel sales it. Since I get motion sick on these flights I always carry some with me now. When Barret told me you were going to be coming along I brought you a bottle all your own."

"Thank you Cloud!" she all but squealed in delight and rushed to hug him. "I'll never forget this! In fact I'll let you keep your materia this trip! I could just kiss you!"

"I wouldn't do that. I'm told Tifa is pretty jealous." Tifa said as she came down the ramp, with Lyle only a step or two behind, to join them.

"Man, now I see. Cloud gives us all his work to do and he goes sneaking off to make out with a much younger woman." Lyle contributed.

"Shush you!" Yuffie responded and Cloud scratched his head. "You don't have to be a jerk Lyle."

"What? A jerk? Me? Surely not! I'm the most loveable and decent chap this side of sector three. Aren't I Tifa?" Lyle replied in mock indignation. He glanced at Tifa who was doing her unsuccessful best to keep a straight face. "Well thanks for nothin'. Man at least Marlene and Denzil would have backed me up." They all shared a laugh at that.

"Hey you buncha lazy S.O.B. s get ya $$es on board so we can get out of here!" Cid called down from the upper deck. "We're burning day light. Just like a bunch of kids to goof off when the adults got work to do… I swear." he gripped loud enough for them to hear him. "Cosmo Canyon is still a day away!"

"Gawd don't remind me!" Yuffie moaned. She popped the cap off the bottle Cloud gave her and dumped two small yellowish capsules into her hand. "Well, here's to hopin'!" she told her self before forcing the tablets down dry. The medication was vile in every sense and it was all she could do to keep from retching. "Nasty!"

"Yeah it is." Cloud said before swallow tow pills of his own. "But it's worth it trust me."

"You know what trust me means over in Coasta Del Sol? It means F…." Yuffie started before she noticed everyone was already heading up the ramp. "Now why do they always do that to me?"

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Several hours later Lyle stood on the observation deck alone watching the clouds pass by. After loading back aboard Cloud called a meeting of the Avalanche Crew (whatever that was Lyle thought) in the operations room. Lyle had naturally followed along to see what was going on but Cloud stopped him at the door.

"Sorry Lyle, but you're not a part of this briefing. So why don't you go and relax somewhere until we get to the canyon?" the blond had told him. Try as he might Lyle could not convince Cloud to let him join the discussion. Everything he tried was flatly rejected and in the end Lyle had stormed up to the deck in frustration. He had paced the railing for sometime growling at any ship hands that happened to get in his way.

After tiring of that he made his was to the foredeck and had stood stock still watching the sky and stewing. Lyle had never like being treated as a child or watched by 'older' and more 'mature' children back in the sector three slums. He had always looked after himself. He had always took care of himself. Jonah had selected him for SOLDIER because it was easier on the Turks to recruit the stubborn little red headed kid then to have to fight him off whenever they entered the small junk yard that was the slums of Sector three.

People had never really liked the Turks and their bulling ways down in the slums, so Lyle had started fights with them as a way to get respect from the other locals. It did not always work and more then once he had had eyes blackened, bloodied noses and several broken bones as results of starting those fights.

But he had won many of them too. Especially after he turned thirteen. A Turk was harassing one of the sector's more elderly couples about some kind of late payment. Lyle hated that so he splattered mud all over the offending Turk's suite. Somewhat short at the time and very lanky, Lyle was dwarfed by the Turk. But some more mud, a lucky slip and a piece of pipe had seen him to victory.

That Turk had been Jonah. It seemed Jonah never held a grudge for a lost fight and reported Lyle to his superiors as a candidate for SOLDIER. Lyle resisted at first but the money a professional fighter made was substantial and in the sums a weeks pay was a small fortune. Eventually greed and a desire to leave the squalor of the slums made him change his mind.

And he never once looked back.

Sun light was fast fading into twilight when he was joined by Cid. "Hey kid."

"Lyle" he replied without thinking. "Not kid. Lyle."

"Sure sure. What ever you want buddy." Cid said. "Look, don't take that thing about the meeting personally ok?"

"What makes you think I took it personal?"

"Several of the crew reported you stalking this deck like a caged animal and that you tried to take bite of them as they passed."

"Oh."

"Look Lyle. We, the lot of us, have seen some bad stuff together. We're kinda close but not in that touchy feely sort of way. We all got our own problems and our own sins, and we don't want to burdon anyone else with them."

"What the hell are you talking about? None of that made any sense." Lyle snapped as confusion and anger began to mix.

"Yeah I know." Cid carried on "I'm not really good at these sort of speeches but they all thought I ought to be the one talking to you."

"…"

"It's like this, we are… comrades… Brothers in arms. I know you understand that right?" the pilot paused to see if Lyle was listening. When he nodded Cid started up again. "The whole thing with Sephiroth and the planet and all of that it… Made us a unit forged out on the battle field. You don't just let people join in on that sort of thing. I really don't know why but you don't. Now every time a problem crops up it seems we're all drawn in to take care of it. We get no peace in this new era of peace. We just want to rest and live our lives but the world wont let us. I guess we shoulder that responsibility and we're afraid to let someone else share the load. Damn it all it doesn't make any sense, even to us." Finally Cid wound down and just looked out at the darkening sky.

"I suppose I can understand." Lyle said slowly. "But tell me something Mr. Highwind."

"Cid." Cid grunted "I'm Cid, not Mr. Highwind. But what do you want to ask?"

"When you're gone. Dead to the last member, who will carry on in your place if no one is allowed to share your burden?" Lyle asked. Before Cid could do anything else but turn and look at him, Lyle turned away and went below deck.

"Damn good question kid…" Cid muttered into the wind. He flicked the spent snub of his cigarette overboard and lit another. "I wish I had a -ing answer."

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Lyle had spent the rest of the flight in his quarters and refused to talk to anyone, even Yuffie. He was not seen again until they arrived at Cosmo Canyon. He did not say anything to anyone as he unloaded the truck and backed it out of Sierra's hold. He was just finishing a walk around inspection of the engine and double checking its ties when Barret and Yuffie appeared at his shoulder.

"Hey Lyle." It was Barret who spoke. Yuffie just stood behind him shuffling her feet in the dirt. "Good job bringin' dat engine. The 116 really needs it. So just head on around east then follow the road north and ya be back in Corel in no time."

"What about Yuffie?" he asked with out stopping his work. He had already guessed the big man's answer but thought it best to ask anyway. Yuffie and Barret exchanged glances before Barret answered. "She's comein' wit us. I know we're askin' you to do a lot of solo work on this, but I promise ta make it up ta ya."

"Yeah." he said lamely "I bet you will."

"Hey, don't be like dat! Come on…" Barret started patting around in his pocket until he found one holding two small plastic cards. These he handed to Lyle. One was plain white with GP CREDIT stamped into its otherwise featureless surface. The other was a myriad of colors and even transparent in some places. It had GOLD SAUCER stamped on it in big letters near the top. Below that was smaller type proclaiming LIFETIME PASS.

"What are these?" Lyle asked perplexed after inspecting the two cards.

"They're a pass and a charge card for Gold Saucer, just like they say. Up can take the lift from Corel for free and that card has a ten kay limit. It should keep you occupied until we get this done and can send you back to Midgar. All as a bonus on top of your pay."

"Why?"

"Cid said you took not being allowed on this adven… I mean errand pretty hard." Yuffie spoke for the first time.

"Yeah…" Barret agreed but with a some what somber tone. "We're sorry 'bout dat but…" the big black man sighed. "We think some time to relax on the clock will… It will… Ah damn." he finished. Everything he had thought sounded so good just a few minutes before suddenly sounded hollow and empty. "Its not that we think you'll get hurt. Its just…"

"It is alright." Lyle said finally. He just wanted to get back to Midgar. "But one question."

"Shoot."

"What's Gold Saucer?"

Barret and Yuffie looked at each other then at Lyle, then back. After a few seconds Yuffie sighed. She hopped up on the trailer beside her partner and explained. "Well, Lyle you see it's…"

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Two hours of following the train tracks that passed just a few miles north east of the Cosmo Canyon settlement brought them to the 'Grand Tunnel'. It was the largest and longest train tunnel in the world. It ran nearly unbroken for more then three miles. Every five hundred feet the main line branched off into lesser storage tunnels where replacement track and emergency gear was kept handy but out of the way.

At each end of the Tunnel there was a mechanic station that was little more the a huge metal shack to house a rail runner. The Rail runner was a large platform covered by glass and steel and bolted to two small sets of train wheels. With the size of this tunnel the two runners had to be of a size to carry full crews to their work site. Lately they had been unused since the train had disappeared and the tunnel team failed to come out of the tunnel at quitting time.

There was only a single mechanic waiting to meet the Avalanche crew when they arrived. He was a young man, some where in his mid twenties. He was robust almost to the point of being portly. They found him tightening the drive chains on the Rail Runner marked with a large Red 2 on its yellow orange surface. When he noticed them his ruddy red face split into a grin. "Hey Boss!" He called to Barret while he hurried over to the group.

"Good to see you still workin'…" Barret said as he extended his left hand. He took this time to discreetly read the young man's name tag. It read Keith Berry "…Berry."

Pleased that the Boss remembered his name Berry took the offered hand and gave it a hearty shake. "I'll be honest with you right off Boss, its pretty bad in there. Nothing has come out of that tunnel in a week." He reported. When Barret released his hand he slipped over to a small desk nestled between the bays for the two Rail Runners. "Uh… it was the Black Gold that last went in. But the other Shop said they never came out and neither did the sixth crew." He frowned. "Boss that was eight days ago. No one has gone in since. And this place is all but abandoned, cause the others are scared for their lives. And the Other end is just as bad off."

Barret nodded along with the report. He knew all of this but let the poor boy tell him again anyway. This shop should be bustling with over sixty men working around the clock. But only Keith here was still around and deserved to be allowed to vent. When this was done, Barret promised himself that Berry was being moved to R&D, it was safer and paid more. That would be his reward for loyalty.

Keith went on to tell them that Sixth crew was somewhere around the area of maintenance tunnel 18 the day they disappeared. The chubby man shuffled around in the desk drawers for several minutes. The rustle of paper and the occasional tinkle or clunk of various objects usually found in desk were strangely the only noise in the entire shop. They echoed off the high metal ceiling and instead of diminishing, grew louder.

Finally Keith pulled out a log tube of hard plastic from one of the larger drawers, with a cry of triumph. "This here's the map so the others know where we're talking about Mr. Wallace." He explained as he extracted the map from the tube and spread it across the top of the desk. A pencil holder and paper weight held the left hand side of the large map down semi flat while the right side was held in place by a name plate with Harland McMurry engraved on it. "Come on and look." He encouraged them. The mechanic took a pencil from the holder as he ran a finger along a small black cross hatched line on the map. When he found the location of tunnel 18 he circled it. "18 is around the halfway point of the tunnel." He told them. "There is not really anything special about the area just various strata of lime stone transposed with white granite."

"White Granite? That stuff worth a fortune back on Wantai." Yuffie said. She got glares from Barret and Cid, Cloud coughed and Tifa nudged her in the ribs and whispered "Not now." Yuffie glared back has she rubbed her ribs. "I didn't mean anything by it. He just said the wall was white granite. That stuff is really rare, so its valuable. It also makes great building material since granite is one of the strongest common rock in nature."

"What would you know about it Brat?" Cid asked. It was very clear he thought she was making it up.

"Well, she's right." Keith said. "The reason we put that tunnel through way out here instead of closer to the settlement is because of the granite." Suddenly Cid's agitated look turned to one of surprise. He could not imagine a world where Yuffie knew any useful information. He looked over at her again and saw she was positively glowing in the light of Keith's support.

"Really?" Cloud inquired.

"Yeah, Spiky." Barret answered him "The geological survey of the area turned it up while we were in the planning stage. Believe me this tunnel cost a fortune."

Keith Berry was nodding along then added "Yep. We could have got the land a lot cheaper because of its remoteness."

"Right." Barret agreed "But if I did that I'd have been robbing Red XIII's people." At this he looked pointedly at Yuffie, who rolled her eyes. "But I could not do that to a friend. Hell I couldn't do that to anyone but the Shinra. We got to do business honest ya know."

"Of course you do." Red XIII said. Every head turned to look at him. "That you were honest about the land's value to you, we appreciate. But we really would rather you took it as a gift when we offered it. No one comes here ever. It is to far from the village and help and nothing that grows here grows right." Everyone nodded at this. They learned long ago that Red XIII or Nanaki -which was his real name- was very wise and deep and his advice was always sound. That he looked like a large one eyed red dog with a flaming tail just confused the non locals. Anyone assembled here, Keith included, would take his advice to heart. "You are looking for a way to power our world with out the use of mako and we can stand behind you in that."

"I know Red." The big black man told him "But the train is also loud and smoky. Plus the rocks closer to the settlement might crack under the stress of the blasting and the vibrations of the train. It was just safer to put the tracks out here."

"Be that as it may, it seems the tracks are no longer safe."

"True…"

"So," Vincent started, his crimson eyes followed the line of the tracks on the map. "What is in there and how did it get in?"

"I think I know a way in. But it would have been really difficult." Keith told him. "You see, between tunnel 25 and tunnel 26 there is an opening in the rock face. It leads out to a sheer drop down the mountainside. No one could get in there that way normally."

"Normally? Has something changed?" Was Tifa's question.

"No, not really ma'am. But nothing has come in or out of either end of these entrance tunnels here since the Black Gold and Crew Six. And before that it was just the trains and crews."

"Damn… Hey Berry, how big is this opening? I aint seen it for myself." Barret put in.

"Well sir… Its… About… Um…"

"Out with it man!"

"Forty Yards or there about."

"SHT! I could almost drop the 'Sierra' in that damn hole!" Cid burst. "What do you mean no one could get in that?"

"Well, it's a natural fissure. It drops a smooth and nearly perfectly vertical twenty stories. The gear it would take to make that climb would need a transport big enough for our radar to pick up." the mechanic explained.

"Oh hell. Anything that survived in one of those reactors would be able to make it I'd bet. I've seen the things that much mako turns a man into." Cloud said to the group. "How long until we can get in there and look around for ourselves?"

"Just give me a second to fire up the Rail Runner." Keith said and darted off to get everything ready.

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The tunnels were surprisingly well lit by large rectangular lights mounted in the wall every fifty feet on alternating sides. These Barret explained were to help the crews keep the track up to par and always running. Aside from the lights the trip was silent and the heavy feeling of foreboding clung to the groups shoulder and weighted mightily on their thoughts.

Tunnel 18 came and went without incident. There was no sign of crew six there. But at Tunnel twenty four they found the train. It was caught in a large tangle of rope it seemed. The last few cars were smashed together with the ones before them and spilled off the sides of the track.

The wreckage force the group to abandon Keith and the Rail Runner with Red XIII offering to stay behind to watch over him and climb over the top of the train. Everywhere they looked there were thick strings of a sticky substance ranging in color from nearly transparent to pearly white.  
"Spider." Barret said. He gripped one of the strands in his metal fist and pulled as hard as he could. The cord of web did not even vibrate. "Big $$ damn spiders"  
Vincent nodded has he too inspected the web "Yes. The creature has forced them to hid here."

"What do you mean?" Tifa wanted to know.

"This is a spider's web. Mako does not turn men into other animals, it makes them monsters. This spider is not the Hephaestus subject. But Something about the subject, perhaps its now inborn magical powers is forcing the local wildlife to seek refuge elsewhere"  
"Well, its great that we know that, but what about the people on the other train?" Barret interjected.  
Cloud bowed his head and shook it sadly "They are not our concern anymore"  
"That's damned cold Spiky!" Barret burst. "They are hard working people who need our help"  
"But he is right." Vincent said "This tunnel has been blocked for a week at least. No one made it out so it is safe to say the spiders got them all"  
Barret shivered "You know what? You two are some creepy bastards when you're together…"

"I second that." Yuffie said without any hint of jest.

"Damn right. Me too." Cid said and snuffed out his cigarette. "So if we can't save them when do we get to avenge them?"

"Sooner then I think we really want to!" Tifa said. The String of web she was inspecting began to vibrate and herald the arrival of its spinner. She looked up into the gloom above their heads and what she saw made her scream.

The others looked up and saw hundreds of large spiders slide down many strands of webbing. Behind them up on the main thread was the swarm's mother. Every bit as large as the Rail Runner and her shiny body reflected green and yellow strips in the white glow of the wall panels. Her front six legs were long and oily tipped. Her rear spinner legs were three times the length of her body and tipped with three hook like claws. These clawed legs were raised over her body as she raced down toward the awaiting prey.

Yuffie swore and everyone else drew their weapons but turned and raced for the Rail Runner. "DAMN IT!" Yuffie screamed and raced after them. "WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THIS TO ME?"

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Ok. I for got to put this in the last chapter due to time constraints. Honestly I thought I had put it at the end of the chapter but it seems I've misremembered once again. So I'll put it here with this chapter's updates!

Firstly I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to read this story. I have every intention and desire to finish it. In fact there are several more in planning that may or may not see the light of day.

Now for the specifics. First to Kit who is helping me write this bit by bit. Also to BrokenAngel13 and Lady Kara for their reviews. Next to Kimmae and Hecate-19 and Tormax for thinking that this story is or will be worth the effort of keeping tabs on it.

Thank you all,

Memnon


	5. Of Turks and Spiders

Corel was not what Lyle remembered. It was dirty still, but that was pretty much the end of the comparisons. Last time Lyle had passed through was in the capacity of SOLDIER on his way down to Gongaga. Corel had been just another little hick town then. Kind of like a slum of Midgar but without the plate hanging over its head. 

Now the city was bustling with people since the W.R.O. and Barret set out to make coal oil the primary fuel source for the entire planet. The buildings were all new and the paint on their sides was practically still wet.

The warehouse he was to take the motor to was not very hard to find. It was by far the largest building in town and every street lane and ally radiated out from it like the spokes of a wheel. He pulled the truck up to the dock and told the dock hand who he was and what his load was. Thirty minutes later Lyle was looking at the strange blue cable car with a slight feeling of apprehension.

"You gonna go up to Gold Saucer or what pal?" The lady working the counter asked. She sounded slightly irritated. Maybe that was because Lyle was holding up the line and the others were starting to grumble and complain about her. "If you're not going up please get out of the line so the others can go on."

Lyle shook his head and entered the strange contraption. It was soon full and the people who had to wait milled about and griped about something that was unfair and had better hurry back down.

Across the car from him was another man and what seemed to be his family. The man was saying something to Lyle but he was not paying him any attention.

"I said I hope your happy! We could have already checked in and be enjoying ourselves if you'd just got on the car. I hate people like you! You think the world revolves around you and that we'll all be happy to wait on your whims."

"People… Like me?" Lyle turned to face the other man and scowled. The mako blue of his eyes fairly glowed in the cramped gloom of the cable car. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Mark he's SOLDIER!" the man's wife whispered urgently. "Leave him alone!"

"So what? Shinra is gone he's just an ordinary guy now. So he's tough? He can't touch me with all of the witnesses in this car. Shinra can't get him out of trouble like that anymore." The man, Mark, whispered back.

Lyle, of course, heard all of this. He leaned over and looked at the little girl setting between Mark and his wife. She looked at him with wide eyes and he smiled at her. "You got red hair." she stated in the manner of small children. She might have been five, maybe.

"Yes I do. You have pretty brown hair like your mother. And her eyes too. Nice and blue. You are just the cutest little girl I think I've ever met." His smile remained as the girl boasted this to her parents as if they had not heard every bit of it. "But you better buckle up." He warned "You might fall out of the car and we'd all hate to witness that."

With eyes as wide as dinner plates the girl hurriedly buckled up. Mark was not amused. "Don't talk to my little girl." He snapped testily. "Because of you and your company she has to live in this mess we call the world."

"Well, fortunately for her it seems to be getting straightened out rather nicely." the ex-SOLDIER said in calm tones. "But it really was best she buckled up though. Cause if she fell out I guess you'd have to go after her."

Mark was irritated but not stupid. The threat was not veiled against anyone in the car except perhaps his little girl Liza. "You wouldn't…" he started but the look he got from Lyle told him Liza was the only safe person in the car. Mark shut up and said nothing more to him for the rest for the trip.

After a short time the Gold Saucer came into view over the mountain. Lyle leaned forward and looked at it over Liza's head. The little girl laughed in delight and clapped her hands. "Isn't it neat Mister? You like the Gold sooser?"

"I've never been there." He told her.

"Me neither."

He patted the girls head. "Well I had never even heard of the place until this morning. Wonder if its really as great as they say it is."

"Oh it will! They got Chocubo! And they race and after the races you get to feed them and its really neat!" The girl explained in a sagely manner, despite never having been to the place either. Lyle laughed and set back and watched as the resort grew and grew until it filled the view from the cable car.

Once the car came to a stop inside the massive building everyone hurried out of the car. It seemed more to get away from Lyle then anything else.

Lyle looked around the station form sometime. Honestly he really did not care for Moogles. So far he did not like this place. At the counter he produced the multicolored card and flashed it at the man there. He was ushered in with out a second glance. The room beyond was a large circle with many tunnels or circular hall ways evenly spaced around its perimeter.

A huge map was painted on one wall. Lyle studied it and decided to go see what this Speed square was.

He entered the hallway marked CHOCOBO with some trepidation. It seemed normal enough for the first few yards. Then suddenly he felt weightless. The walls flashed past him and it was all he could do not to cry out when he was suddenly, but gently, ejected into chocobo square.

He wondered around looking at various pieces of miscellaneous trivia that were on various walls and flash screens. He was not very interested in the fact that a guy named Pedro currently held all of the squares speed records. So he just followed the crowd up into the viewing boxes.

The boxes were just large rooms with a special mat filter spread across two large window. From the vantage point of the viewing boxes one could see the entirety of both long and short tracks. The filter removed the holographic scenery from the audience's way. To watch from the height of the box all you would see is a blank grey track, various colored Chocobos, and the projectors.

People were pressed up against the windows straining to see the race and calling encouragements to their chosen racer. Nearly all of them had tickets in their hands. It seemed that betting on chocobo races was both popular and, if you won, profitable.

Lyle hated gambling.

He was however an enthusiast in chocobos. While he cared very little for the gambling he did actually enjoy the races. He did note that some of the more exotic colors seemed to dominate the leader boards. He had heard that different species of chocobo were better runners then others and the races seemed to favor that idea very heavily.

Somewhere around the sixth or seventh race Lyle felt a tug at his arm and found himself being dragged along behind a raven haired woman in a blue suite. She was saying something to him but he could not make it out. The woman dragged him out of the square and down to the tunnel/portal things.

"…lieve. You shouldn't go off like that, it worries Rude. You know he has a hard time dealing with the rest of the idiots without you. So we'd bet…" She was saying as they neared a tunnel marked BATTLE. But before she could enter the tunnel several people flooded out, all in suites very similar to the one the woman was wearing. "What the…?" She squeaked in surprise.

"There you are Miyoko." One of the men said. He appeared to be the leader of this band of people, despite his slouchy and unkept appearance. His hair was vibrant red just like Lyle's and held out of his face by a pair of goggles perched above his forehead. He was unshaved with speckles of red stubble visible on his chin. His coat was unbuttoned and his shirt, though impeccably white, was untucked.

"Hey, Miyoko, who's your date?" Asked another member of the group. This one was almost the total opposite of the first. He was a tall black man, with a smooth shaved heads and neatly groomed beard. Purple tinted shades rested on his nose. Purple seemed wrong somehow and yet it only added to his aura of professionalism. His blue suit was pressed in crisp lines and immaculately clean. Nothing was out of place on this man.

"Reno? Rude? But… What? Date?" The woman holding Lyle's arm asked the air. "I went looking for Reno and I found him in the Cho…co…bo… Um…"

The red haired man grinned at her and came over. "Really? You found me in the Chocobo Square? Let me have a look at myself." He came around the woman to look at Lyle. "Well at least the hair is right." He said as he appraised Lyle up and down. I guess if you weren't really looking you could think the eye patch strap was my goggle band. But he's in beige coveralls. You know a Turk is supposed to be more observant Miyoko."

"Yes, Reno…" The woman said. Her back was still to Lyle and her head was hung low. Inky black hair hid her face and embarrassment from the world. "I just assumed that since you just disappeared that you were hiding. Like a test."

"Nice cover kid." the black man, Rude, Lyle guessed, said to her.

"Yeah it was." Reno agreed "She's gonna make a good Turk yet, Rude man." He turned back to Lyle "Hey Yo, sorry 'bout that. You SOLDIERs know how rookies are, right."

"Sure." Lyle replied simply. Turks were not really the people he wanted to see right now, or ever again.

"Tell you what." Reno said misinterpreting Lyles simple answer. "I'll have Miyoko apologize and me 'n' Rude'll by you a round of booze and everybody is happy. How's that?"

"No it's not nessic…" Lyle tried to tell him, but Reno spun Miyoko around to face him and apologize. Before she said anything Lyle could tell she recognized him by the way her eyes went wide. And by the way they went stormy he knew she did not care much for his continued existence in the world.

"OH GAWD! RENO THAT'S HIM!" she exclaimed and pointed "The guy that got you banned form 7th Heaven!"

The other two Turks that had been silent up to this point stopped milling around behind Reno and came for a look. Lyle knew it was going to be Simon and Hyden since Miyoko was here, and it was.

"Hey yeah! That the guy that started the fight with us!" Hyden told Rude, who nodded but said nothing.

"If Cloud hadn't stepped in we'd have won that fight." Simon spat. "He couldn't even finish his own fight!"

"Oh yeah?" Reno asked. He and Rude exchanged glances the red haired Turk looked at Lyle again. Reno, was sloppy and laid back, even flat out lazy, but he was not stupid. He saw that Lyle's piercing death gaze passed he and Rude, completely ignored Miyoko and came to rest on the cousins. Putting two and two together and getting something in the vicinity of negative 275 he shook his head. "Go on Miyoko, apologize to the guy."

"WHAT!" The three rookies cried in unison.

"Just do it." Rude told her.

"Ok…" She grumbled "I'm sorry I dragged you out of the races." She said with all the dignity she could muster.

"Not for that." Rude said.

"What?" The woman wailed "What else do I gotta say sorry for?"

"For letting Numb and Nuts back here for messing with him back in Edge." Reno explained calmly and glared white hot death at Simon and Hyden.

"But… I didn't… It wasn't me…" Miyoko sputtered.

"Right." said Rude "You didn't try to help him, and it wasn't you who stopped the fight. Because of that…"

"I'm banned from ever getting another frosty mug of the best damn Corel wine in the world. Not to mention any chances for Rude here to get an eyeful of Tifa." Continued Reno.

Lyle watched all this in silent and morbid fascination. It was kind of like a train wreck in its way. You knew there was going to be a loud noise, a crash and guts everywhere but you just could not look away for anything. So far there had been a loud noise, when Miyoko fingered him as the drifter in the fight, and a crash when Reno made them apologize. So next came the guts.

Miyoko sighed and with slumped shoulders apologized for her lack of aide in the bar fight. She was absolutely sincere, and Lyle and the two Senior Turks could tell. Reno and Rude nodded at each other and together said "Spirit of the Turks."

"And there are the guts." Lyle said aloud. Miyoko and the Turks gave him a confused look but he shrugged it off. "Just an old saying."

"Oh." Reno managed "Well come on then guy. First two are on us."

"Huh?"

"Look I told you Rude and I would get you a drink. So come on or the place is gonna get crowded."

"Er… Ok. I guess."

"Great. And Diddly and Squat will cover everything else out of their pocket." Reno told them with a great satisfaction. When the cousins started to protest he snapped at them about how their stupidity had got him banned from 7th Heaven so they were going to pay for every drop it took him to drink himself happy. And since he hated to drink alone because it made him unhappy they would cover his drinking buddies too. "And don't worry if you can't cover it." Reno smiled at them in a very unwholesome way. "I'll just have Tseng dock it from your pay."

The group moved to WONDER square. The Turks lead the way to a small place at the far side of the micro saucer. It was actually a restaurant of some reputation it was explained to Lyle as Rude finagled the entire group seats. But due to the size of the group and the limited space they were forced to take seats at two separate tables. Although they were fairly close together (a conversation could be held between the tables without a great deal of effort or raised voices) they were completely segregated with the rookies taking the one Reno decided was less desirable, while He Rude and Lyle took seats at the other.

"I don't really care for this place. It's too high crust for my taste. " Reno told Lyle when they were seated. "But it's the only place to get a drink in Gold Saucer." He flagged a waitress down. The poor girl was dressed in something Lyle guessed was supposed to resemble Chocobo Feathers. Damn even the high class parts of this resort were gaudy. She took Reno's order for rounds and told her that Simon and Hyden were going to cover his charges.

"Would you care for anything to eat with your drinks?" The waitress asked them.

"I don't know. What do you think Rude?"

"Some chow wouldn't be unwelcome." he said and took the menu the waitress offered him. It was covered in writing he could not read. "If I can figure this out."

"Huh? Let me see. Yo Rude man that's some messed up stuff! What's Ewst ne fou de la nu? Can you read this guy?" Reno slid the menu over to Lyle.

"Yeah. I know what this stuff is."

"Well tell us man."

"Expensive and very small portioned."

Rude and Reno groaned.

"Hey," Lyle called to the other table. "You… um…" He leaned over to Rude "What's her name again?"

"Miyoko."

"Hey, Miyoko."

The woman turned to look at them. When she saw Lyle wave her over she shook her head. It finally took Reno calling her at the top of his lungs to embarrass her into coming to the table with them. "What?"

"Sit down." Rude commanded her. She did.

Lyle passed her the menu. She picked it up and glanced at it. "Ok…?"

"You ever heard the phrase 'Its unhealthy to drink on an empty stomach'?" Lyle asked.

"Yeah…"

"Well order. You're eating with us tonight. On those two's gil." Reno put in. "But you gotta pick something good."

"Sure!" Miyoko brightened indefinitely. She was very relieved to be back in the Senior members' favor.

By the end of the meal Reno had managed to get four pints down Lyle and what looked like a piece of lamb to boot. He also noticed how the ex-SOLDIER seemed unphased and alert. Interesting. "Hey, yo guy. How about a few rounds in BATTLE square?"

"BATTLE Square? How does it work?" Lyle asked suddenly intrigued. His dislike of the place had lessened as the meal and company carried on.

"It's simple." Miyoko supplied for Reno. "You take a weapon and some materia into this big arena and it gets filled with holographic monsters or combat scenarios for you to fight through. They reward high scores with prizes and their name on the boards."

"Yeah but losers are booed right out of the Saucer." Rude told him.

"So how about it? Really good fights get broadcast all over Gold Saucer. And no one gets hurt." Reno put in.

"I guess so…" Lyle said. He was not really in a mood to fight. But they assured him it was just a game and no one got hurt. Plus the points your earned could be spent on weapons or materia. "What the hell. Sure, why not?"

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Down in the BATTLE square Lyle looked over the selection of weapons for sale. Their point costs were all pretty high, but Reno assured him that a single good performance could easily purchase anything here. Lyle looked at swords and guns, various gloves and staves, even shurikans what appeared to be hair barrettes. None of it really appealed to him until he spotted something in a forgotten corner of the prize counter.

It was a knife. But knife fit the item about as well as sword described Cloud's Buster Breaker. This particular knife was a Shinra Mk II Advanced Combat Knife. It was thirty five inches long total and often called a short sword rather then a large knife. Its hilt was oddly shaped but fit the hand comfortably in both the over hand and under handed position. A small spike jutted from the pommel. The cross guard was wide and thick. Holes ran through the cross guard in a slightly lopsided fashion. The part of the blade nearest the hilt was thick and wide. It resembled the head of a hatchet with a slightly skinnier and much narrower blade extending from the top. This main blade ran the rest of the overall length coming up to a sharp point. From there the blade jutted back over itself forming a 'V' shape at the very tip. The back of the blade was curved inward and serrated. In all it was a strange looking but effective weapon.

"Damn. I haven't seen one of those in…"

"About thirty years." a deep voice finished his sentence for him. "They stopped production on those knives because they were so hard to use."

Lyle turned and found himself looking and the bare and glistening chest of yet another very large man. He looked up. "I'm Dio." The large man said by way of introduction. "I own the Gold Saucer."

"Lyle."

"Nice to met you Lyle. Are you a collector?" Dio inquired. "Not many people even take notice of that piece." he said sadly. "I have a few that people sold to me from their father or grandfather's old army stuff. This one is in good shape but I have a mint one for my privet collection. Sadly no one wants it so its price is far too low."

"Yeah well I plan to buy it." Lyle told him. "And use it."

"Oh? I'd like to see that my boy. No ones been trained with that knife in decades. Tell you what though, you get that knife and I'll throw in… Oh I don't know… How about a Hades materia to go in the slot?"

"Throw in an added effect materia and I'll pay double the cost."

"Deal! You get enough to buy the knife you get the summon materia. Get enough to pay double, all in one try and you'll get the knife and both materia." Dio agreed and threw out his large ham hand. Lyle took it and Shook it vigorously.

"What's the best way to earn big points?" Lyle asked Reno after Dio went off to get a seat for the show.

"Scenario. The harder the scenario the more points you get." Reno thrust his personal electrified asp into Lyle's hands "You take this and get ready and I'll pick you a really good and hard romp. Cool?"

"Sure. I'll need about fifteen thousand points in one go." he told the Turk.

"I'll make sure you get it." Reno promised

"This way sir." The admissions clerk told him. "Its your turn."

Lyle thanked the man and stepped through the large doors into the arena. Inside it was a spacious room with a large wooden floor and a small moat between the battle floor and the arena wall. About twelve feet up off the floor the wall ended and allowed spectators to watch the matches.

Scenario mode is a new mode to the Gold Saucer battle square. A loud synthesized voice boomed into the arena. The slot effects used in the old battle mode are not used here. Instead the amount of time the player remains in the square is multiplied by the difficulty of the chosen scenario plus bonuses for various completed tasks in a given scenario. Current choice is High difficultly. Seven hundred battle points per minute. Five thousand bonus points for defeat of enemy commander. Begin simulation!

Suddenly the air shimmered around Lyle. He watched as the landscape took on the shape of rocks and sky. All around him illusionary Shinra troops fought with the shurikan wielding people of Wutai to the backdrop of heavy rain and uneven ground at a high elevation. He watched numbly as the scenario name was called out by that loud voice.

The Da-Chao Offensive!

The Da-Chao offensive had been Wutai's first decisive victory in the war. It was said they wiped out the Shinra troops that had retreated into the sacred statues of the mountain down to a man.

The sounds of battle raged around him. Men and women screamed in rage and pain. Everywhere people were on the ground rolling, fighting, gouging and biting in the mud and the blood and the rain. Lyle closed his eye to block it all out, but it was still vivid in his mind. This was designed to be a massacre scenario. Seven hundred points a minute was high and the reason was because no one was expected to make it more then two or three.

Lyle heard one of Wutai's famous giant shurikans scream like a buzz saw through the air not far from him. He heard it slice into human flesh and he heard the stuck man cry out.

'No.' he thought. 'This is not right!' He felt numb. He felt disconnected from reality. He was in shock. A single projection produced this scene and the horror it stood for. How many kids came here and played this very scenario with out fear and left with no lingering effects? Did anyone who played this game realize what was really going on around them or was just a simple game and not the reenactment of the greatest massacre of the Shinra-Wutai war?

The people in the audience watched Lyle in puzzlement as he stood stock still in the middle of the fighting. His head was down and his eye was closed. He was shaking his head and muttering something to himself. When he looked up at the scene around him he had the thousand mile stare of a man suffering shellshock.

One of the whirring stars came from the nether at the arena's border aimed at Lyle. With a snap of his wrist the killing weapon was batted harmlessly away by the asp in his hand. The people watched as the fog lifted from Lyle's eye. They saw him raise the asp and scream his fury at the imaginary enemy. When he waded into the false battle several people left their seats. This may be a massacre, but it was very clear to anyone watching that Lyle expected to be the only one walking away.

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Everyone scrambled for the Rail Runner with the spider hoard hot on their heels. Every so often Barret would stop, turn and lay down some cover fire. This would kill off some of the smaller spiders but did little but slow the queen.

No one bothered to use the ladder at the end of the train. They all jumped out toward the Runner. Even Barret nearly made it half way in a single bound. They all hit the ground hard but adrenaline kept them all sprinting at top speed. Has they neared the craft they could see Red XIII battling with several of the smaller spiders.

Keith was cowering in a corner away from the fighting. Cloud called for him to start up the Runner. With courage born of a will not to be spider food the chubby man slipped over toward the control box. One of the spiders caught his motion and leapt at him. Red XIII intercepted the arachnid with a full speed charge, that sent it sailing off the side of the Rail Runner.

With Red XIII now between him and the spiders Keith worked fast. His hands flew over the controls and levers. The engine began to hum and very, very slowly the vehicle began to roll back toward the tunnel's main entrance. Red managed to kill another spider allowing Keith to get to the ladder and help the others up.

"Full speed Berry!" Barret yelled as he pulled himself onto the car's platform.

"Aye Sir!" the mechanic said and raced over to throttle the runner up to top speed.

With the help of the rest of the group the platform was cleared of spiders quickly. As the runner picked up speed many of the smaller spiders gave up the chase. Just as it seemed they were home free the queen dropped from the cave ceiling and scuttled after the runner.

She was large and seemed easily capable pacing the large rail car. "Ah SHT!" Cid said. "Can't you giant -ing bugs ever just leave people alone?"

Cloud looked out at the queen and shook his head. "Keith, slow us down. Vincent, Barret, Yuffie, you're up. Hit her with everything you've got. Tifa what did you bring by way of materia?"

Keith slowed the craft down just a fraction and watched in wide eyed horror as the enormous spider neared the rail craft. Tifa distributed materia to those in the group with out guns of throwing weapons.

"I don't know what would be best in this situation." she told them "So lets try everything!"

"Right you are Tifa!" Cid said. He turned to the queen and unleashed a bolt of lightning from his materia. It struck her with force enough to cause her to lose ground but little else. Red XIII tried next with a blast of Ice. This seemed to do damage to the queen. Frost clung to her shiny carapace and she squealed loudly. Then Tifa tried Fire. It had an amazing effect. It clung the queen and continued to burn of many seconds.

"Great" Cloud shouted over the noise of Barret and Vincent's gun fire. "Did we bring Ifrit with us?"

"Yeah!" Tifa called back and went back to the case of Materia. After an eternity she held up the small red colored crystal ball. Inside one could see the form of a demon roaring to get out. Tifa held the materia toward the spider and concentrated. In her mind she could hear Ifrit call to her. 'Burn!' it raged against her mind 'Burn it all! Burn to ash! Everything Burns!'

"Then burn away our enemies Ifrit!" she yelled. The crystal emitted a miasma of red fog. Streams of life force coursed through the red mist slowly coalescing into the shape of the horned fire beast Ifrit. As the image solidified the demon roared at the spider and leapt from the platform. Where his feet touched the ground the rock bubbled and cracked, metal melted and wood vaporized. Ifrit roared once more and great flames consumed his body.

As the gigantic spider raced toward the lone summon monster it thought only of catching the large moving prey and completely ignored Ifrit. This proved to be a mistake when Ifrit's blazing body slammed into the underside of the spider's abdomen. Gore sprayed across the tunnel walls and along the track. Although far from killed the monster spider's speed lagged and parts of its carapace burned and melted. There was no sign of Ifrit.

"It's still coming!" Yuffie called back. Spurred on by pain and the desire of self preservation the monster raced after them. Its eight bulbous eyes glowing red with fury as it sped along behind the rail runner. Try as they might nothing Vincent, Barret, and Yuffie tried seemed to penetrate the creatures shiny shell.

With a great jump the spider queen propelled itself at the rail runner. She landed heavily atop the platform's roof. With a high pitched squeal the arachnid began prying the top of the car open so she could get at the prey inside. The metal moaned as it peeled away from screeching rivets and torn bolts.

"AH HELL!" Barret exclaimed while the roof was torn away above his head. He aimed his gun arm up at the roof and fired for all he was worth. Beside him Vincent bent over Cerberus and began rearranging the materia configuration of the weapon. Yuffie ducked under the remaining part of the roofing next to Tifa. Cloud separated the large clever like blade from his sword and stood ready with a sword in each hand.

"Cid, I want you to stay right under it." Cloud said in preternatural calm. "And when we tell you jab up through the ceiling with everything you've got!"

"I'm on it Cloud." The Pilot replied and moved into position. "I hope whatever you're planning works!"

Before Cloud could say anything in reply the two overlong hind legs swept down into the platform room. Everyone ducked or weaved out of their was as the clawed and grasped out at them. Vincent threw himself prostrate to avoid the claws but was still raked across the back. He rolled away with a hiss just in time to avoid the claw's grasp. To be pulled up out of the car was certain death.

Red XIII hurried over to the injured man. "Are you alright Vincent?" Red asked.

"I will be fine." Vincent affirmed and stood up however shakily. "At least until we can stop for breath."

"Very well. Come lets rejoin the fray!"

They both slipped in under the spider. Vincent took aim with the readjusted Cerberus and Red XIII worked as his lookout. Vincent squeezed the trigger tightly. The result was a sound similar to 'woomph' and a hole in the roof large enough for Barret to get through if he held his breath. Dark icker oozed in from around the hole proclaiming the hit.

Cloud and Tifa hand their hands busy fending off the spiders limbs as they tried to cover the members of the group with the reach to hit the beast from its perch. Tifa aimed her strikes at the joints of the creature's leg and advised Cloud to do the same. It took several hacks to cut away a length of the spider's legs.

Busy as they were with the flailing appendages no one noticed when one of the long clawed feet came through the front window and snatch the helpless Keith until it was too late. The mechanic was being pulled through the opening in a heart beat and vanished from view with a scream.

"Barret get me up there!" Yuffie instructed. She hopped up on the hand Barret extended her way on reflex and was tossed up to face the spider. She landed near the thing's ruined abdomen and the stench of crisped spider with overpowering and noxious. Keith was being dragged across the surface of the rail runner's roof toward the waiting maw of the great spider.

Yuffie rushed in under the spiders body jumping and twisting around its legs. When she was clear she flung her shurikan at a row of the monster's eyes. The razor edged weapon cut them neatly and sent a spray of goop into the air. In its shocked and semi blinded state it lifted its legs up to defend its remaining eyes and took Keith with it. Another throw of the shurikan cut deeply into the thing's leg and it released the captured man who fell to the ground with a thud.

"Give me cover fire Big Guy!" The ninja called down to the lower room then went to check Keith. He was fine if winded. Sweat soaked his face and plastered his hair to his head. "Lets get you down below again." Yuffie told him. With a grunt of effort on both of their parts, they got Keith to his feet and over to the hole Vincent had made just a few moments before. Keith wedged himself in but got stuck. Yuffie pushed on him to no avail. Finally Cid and Tifa each grabbed one of the mans leg and pulled mightily. He slipped down into the hole with a cry.

Yuffie hopped after him but was struck in the back by something large and heavy. She felt weightless for a second and watched Cid and Tifa reach for her. Her ribs burned and her shirt felt strangely sticky. Then the hole seemed to get farther and farther away. The monster had managed to snatch her out of the air when she jumped. Now she watched in horror as its mandibles clicked with anticipation and dripped clear venom.

A Red flash cut through the air between her and the terrible death that awaited her. She heard a low growl and then a crunching sound. Next thing she knew she was back on the roof level laying across Red's back. "Just a second more my friend we are almost clear." He said is soft tones as they went over the side of the ripped portion of the roof.

Once back inside the car Tifa took her from Red and laid her down on her face. Yuffie felt some pressure on her back then heard another crack. Suddenly she could breath again. Tifa rolled her over and inspected the wound at her ribs. "Its not bad." The barmaid told her with a grin. "Most of the mess is the oil on the spider's claws. Lets close this before it can get infected."

"Indeed." Red said from where he sat near her head. Once more he was acting as cover while the other's worked or fought. Red was reliable, smart and brave, but his form had its limits and he knew them well. "I hope this filth is not toxic." He grumbled good naturedly about the thick black tar-like mess that coated his mouth. Yuffie knew it was to cheer her up. "This stuff tastes revolting!"

Tifa murmured in soft tones the knowledge given to her from the small green materia in her hand. Small bands of life stream moved across Yuffie's skin and worked to knit the flesh together and seal the wound. When Tifa was finished Yuffie's skin was smooth and unscarred by the ordeal. She felt better and a fog she had not noticed before that had settled in her mind lifted.

"Thanks Tifa. Thanks Red." She told them. They both nodded and Tifa helped her to her feet.

"You sure about this Berry?" Barret asked the portly mechanic. Keith's reply was lost in the noise as he dug something from the depths of one of the runners supply lockers. It was a large cylinder with what looked like a grip of some sort. "This will handle that thing!" He told his boss triumphantly. "Just get it still long enough for me to get a shot at it."

"Right!" Barret said then looked over at Cid. The blond pilot was bruised and bloodied but he had held his ground the entire fight. "Cid do your thing!"

Not needing to be told twice Cid plunged his spear up through the roof. Black goop dripped down on him from above. But try as he might the spider tossed him around. "Its to big, to strong too pissed for me to hold it!" He told them, but Cloud had a plan already. "Barret fire up along that seam!" He instructed and pointed out. "Vincent you fire along the lip of the hole that thing tore open!"

Without a word both men did as Cloud instructed. The violent shakings of Cid's lance gradually stopped. "Now fire that thing Keith!"

The chubby little man was already in position and taking aim before Cloud had said anything. "Hold it… Hold it… Hold it…. Hold… Now I got you!" he pulled the grip back and the cylinder exploded. Dozens of small needlelike extensions spread and struck the beast. Its hard carapace was no match for things designed to blast open granite. The monster's face and fore body were covered in the little needles. "Bye bye! This is for eating my friends you B!#&h!" Keith depressed a small stud on the grip and the world went white.

When it was all said and done the spider had been vaporized, along with a bit more of the rail runner's roof. Everyone felt a great deal better until Barret asked "How come we weren't blow to small smoldering bits?"

All eyes turned to Keith who was smiling in spite of himself. "Easy boss! That shaped charge is set in two halves. The halves have to be connected in such a way that their individual detonation codes can move through the substance electronically to explode. Since none of us had one of the charges in us or in our hands nothing happened."

"Electronically? Granite is and isolating stone! Electricity can not readily move through it." Red said in puzzlement.

"True." he conceded "But that particular set is for ice. Of course we could attach the charges to the wall and then bridge them with wire if need be. But I know spiders conduct electricity pretty well so I just figured…"

"I'll be damned!" Barret went over and slapped the mechanic on the back. "Berry ya gonna be head of R&D for this!"

"Sweet!"

"Yeah lets get Red home and then head over to Corel to rest." Cloud told the group at large. "We might even take in a night at Gold Saucer for a job well done!"

"Oh right!" Yuffie cheered "I love that place! The games the attractions…"

"The materia." Tifa put in from beside her.

"Hey now!"

"Man I don't feel like that long $$ hike back to Cosmo Canyon Village." Barret told Cloud.

"Then way don't I have us picked up?" Cid said. "The 'Sierra' going meet us at the rail shop."

"It will?" Cloud wanted to know.

"Sure!"

"Well then why didn't ya say so in the first place and save us all that time walking up here!" exploded Barret.

"You said this place was remote and hard to get to. You made it sound like my baby would not fit up here. But she will, so I called her up here to wait on us. Now simmer down ya big oaf."

The rest of the trip out of the tunnel was thankfully uneventful. At the shop Red told them he would prefer to walk back to the settlement. He liked the feel of his homeland beneath his paws. Cid excepted this with no argument what so ever. He understood the feeling. He like the fell of air under his boots and would never begrudge a man, or dog-thing, that same feeling.

Vincent however opted to stay with Red XIII and head back to the settlement. Never one for games, his announcement met only polite protests. He knew they meant well and everything but he despised the atmosphere of Gold Saucer.

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After a brief stop in Corel for a shower and change of cloths, everyone met at the lift.

The trip up to the Saucer was silent as everyone dealt with after battle nerves in their own way. Barret adjusted his cybernetic gun arm with a face away look on his face. Cid puffed on the dog end of his cigarette as he rested his head against the back of the seat and his eyes closed. Cloud looked out the window at the passing mountain tops. Tifa held his arm and seemed to be napping with her head on his shoulder. Yuffie sat hunched over with her head down and counting slowly to herself as the last of the effects of her medicine wore off. She managed to not get sick all the way up to the resort.

Once the pulled into the station everyone disembarked in a cheerful mood. Barret produced another lifetime pass and they were all let in without a second glance. "Well where to first you guys?" asked Barret. He was over by the map giving it a critical examination. "Do we check in at the hotel, or go to WONDER Square, or go race Coco in CHOCOBO Square? What do we do?"

"Let go find Lyle first." Yuffie told him. "Where do you think he'd hang out?"

"BATTLE Square, definatly." Cloud replied as he stepped over to the map with them.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, easiest way to get GP and other stuff for a guy like him."

"I guess you're right."

Barret cleared his throat to make an opening in the conversation that seemed to have left him behind. "Why you so worried about him Brat?"

Her cheeks and ears tinged slightly red before she answered "Well, he's my partner right? And he was kind of upset when we wouldn't let him come along to the tunnels with us."

"I guess." Barret told her with a shrug of his wide shoulders. "He was sort of miffed when I talked to him."

"Miffed is not the word Barret." Tifa called over. "I think we genuinely ticked him off."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's setting the high score on one of the BATTLE square's new scenarios as we speak." she replied. "One of the hardest ones too."

Cloud went over to look at the monitor Tifa was watching. "Whoa! Lets get down there. I think we need to talk with him as soon as possible."

"Ok…" the ninja replied and went over to the portal tube to BATTLE Square. She hopped in followed shortly by the others. She emerged into a place rife with pandemonium. People were cheering and tossing bet tickets around. They were shoving one another to get a good look at the monitors.

Yuffie and the others managed to get a good view when Barret bodily tossed a few rowdies out of the way. The screen showed their friend battling for his life in a simulation of a place Yuffie knew by heart. She watched him fight with holographs of her countrymen. She even noticed the odd look on his face. He seemed both angry and happy at the same time. The ex-SOLDIER was even grinning as he fought the false men on the arena floor. After just a few seconds Yuffie could not watch anymore.

The simulated scenario ended shortly there after when the clock at the bottom of the screen hit twenty minutes. His score was added up to fourteen thousand points then the bonus for killing the enemy commander put him up to nineteen thousand. The words New record flashed at the end of his point total in bright red letters.

A few minutes later Lyle exited the Arena. The Avalanche crew shouldered their way over to him but found themselves second behind Reno and his Turks. They said something to each other but Lyle noticed Barret's large frame and waved him over. The Turks and Avalanche eyed one another. Their staring match was ended when Lyle asked about the tunnel.

"Yeah we got it all cleared out." the big man told him.

"That's good. Was it serious?"

"Kind of. Come on to the hotel and we'll fill you in."

"Sure boss. Oh Yuffie, I want to show you what I won. Its…" Everything went dead silent in BATTLE Square. Everyone, Turk, Avalanche, gambler and spectator's eyes were on the small figure of Yuffie. The sound of the slap she laid across Lyle's face echoed in the room. "I thought you were my friend you Jerk!" she all but screamed at him and simply vanished into the crowd.

"Aw… Yo man, that was harsh!" chuckled Reno. Simon and Hyden hid their own fits of laughter behind Miyoko and Rude's backs.

Cid shrugged. "Can't say that really surprised me." he said to one in particular. Then he and the rest of the crew went off in search of Yuffie.

Lyle watched them go before his mind realized what had just happened. He turned to the sniggering Reno. "I thought no one got hurt?" he spat. He closed the asp with a sharp slap and tossed it back to Reno. Lyle cut his hand where it got caught between two of the collapsing shafts. He stormed off after the others without a backward glance.

Reno looked at the smear of blood on his weapon and smiled. "No one important anyway. Yo Rude man, let blow this place."

"Right."

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Ah that was a quick update wasn't it? Oh touch me! No not really. Well this one was written in one sitting really. I've toyed with it in places but something about it bothers me and I can't put my finger on it. If you have any comments e-mail them to me and I'll see about fixing whatever is broken.

And I forgot in my last note. The song Lyle is singing, 'Pay MeMy Money Down'is not mine of course. Yes, The Boss, Springsteinhas recently recorded it but it is a much older song. Trust me, go buy a record player and hunt down any copies of anything Seeger did. it will be well worth the time and effort!


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